Overview
In response to
the Secretary of State's 2020 audit, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) developed the Child and Family Behavioral Health Policy Vision to improve Oregon's behavioral health system for children, youth and families.
In the last three years, OHA has received input on this document from youth and families, providers, the
Children's System Advisory Council, partners and interested communities. OHA heard loud and clear messages from families and young people:
- Ensure access to a broad, flexible array of community-based services and support for children, and their families and caregivers, to address their emotional, social, educational and physical needs.
- The right services need to be individualized according to the unique needs of each child and family and be available when needed, for the duration needed.
- Ensure the network of providers is responsive to children, youth and families in a way that is trauma informed and culturally responsive.
The next phase is reporting, refining and getting feedback on a roadmap. The roadmap will be a living document that reflects ongoing input from communities, including the System of Care, on direction and further investments.
Strategies and the Roadmap 2020-2024
Based on discussions with people with lived experience, we have identified three fundamental philosophical pillars for our work. These underpin everything within the four strategic pathways in our Roadmap.
Three pillars or philosophies underpin the plan. The work will center all youth and families, demonstrate and promote trauma-informed principles toward the goal of achieving health equity in the continuum of care, policy formation and in all our current and future work.
Health equity
All people can reach their full potential and well-being and are not disadvantaged by their race, ethnicity, language, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, social class, intersections among these communities or identities, or other socially determined circumstances.
Youth and family
Center communities of color, indigenous and Tribal communities, people who identify as LGBTQIA2S+ and other historically marginalized groups, incorporating meaningful youth and family participation.
Center youth and families
Recognize that traumatic experiences terrify, overwhelm and violate the individual. Trauma-informed care is a commitment not to repeat these experiences and in whatever way possible, to restore a sense of safety, power and self-worth. Traumatic experiences include abuse, historical, complex and medical traumas and many others.
Four pathways guide and organize the work:
- Continuum of Care. Work addresses gaps and quality in the children's behavioral health continuum of care and centers communities that have been disproportionally impacted by health inequities and systemic racism.
- Youth and Family Engagement. Work incorporates meaningful youth and family participation centering communities of color, indigenous and Tribal communities, people who identify as LGBTQIA2S+ and other traditionally marginalized populations.
- Data. Work centers health equity by making policy and program decisions based on accurate and timely data and by seeking data that can assist in understanding health inequities.
- Cross System. Work supports and prioritizes cross-system collaboration to improve the behavioral health continuum of care for youth and families.
Expert consensus and evidence informs and supports each of these four goal pathways. The goal pathways:
- Include feedback from the voices of youth and families with lived experience.
- Integrate Oregon's current state health improvement plan (Healthier Together Oregon) and other state agency reports/guidance documents with the work being done.
This Roadmap is a living document that reflects input from communities, including the System of Care, on direction and future investments. It sets out the goal pathways, strategies and steps that frame the work. Included is the Quarter 4, 2022 update on progress and a timeline for work in the plan. The intent is to provide progress updates at six-month intervals.
Roadmap 2020-2024
Comments and questions are welcome and can be directed to kidsteam@oha.oregon.gov
Family Member Policy Vision Work Group
This workgroup will reconvene in 2023 to provide OHA and the Children's System Advisory Council a parent and family perspective about OHA programs and policies.
Workgroup members include the council's appointed Family Representatives and additional family members representing specific populations or regions of the state.