Oregon Recovers Advocacy Day Remarks

Hello everyone! Thank you to Executive Director Bo Brinson for inviting us. Aimee and I believe in the power of the recovery community to make change! Thank you for coming to your Capitol!

We’re here because we join you in being focused on fighting Oregon’s addiction crisis by increasing access to effective care.

Right now, depending on where you live or what you can afford, it’s tough to find the mental health or addiction treatment you need to be healthier. We’re making progress, but there’s much more to do. Thank you for advocating for my budget to improve access to care!

In addition to more inpatient and outpatient care, we know the people who want to enter the workforce to help, or who are already providers in mental health and addiction treatment, are struggling to find a career pathway or are struggling to stay in the field. Whether you need care, or you provide care, the barriers are consistently defined by a lack of treatment capacity – places to go for help – and a lack of workforce capacity – people to provide that help.  

We need more mental health and addiction care professionals, and more spaces and places to get treatment.

Every Oregonian should be able to access the care they need, when they need it. 

Again, thank you for supporting my budget – because it invests in new career pathways and more help for supporting talented, committed counselors, social workers, therapists, peer mentors, and everyone who makes our current system work.

Addiction is preventable and treatable. We know what works. You know what works.

Oregon Recovers and the entire recovery community are important to make sure every Oregonian get the care they are looking for and need.

Thank you for what you’re doing. Thank you for being here. Please keep fighting the good fight!