You may have heard that Oregon State Hospital is experiencing an influx of defendants sent to the hospital from local jurisdictions under Aid and Assist orders. Today OHA Director Patrick Allen set deadlines to resolve the crisis.
Currently, there are 258 patients (that’s more than 4 in 10) who were ordered by local courts for treatment, so they can “aid and assist” in their own defense.
The state hospital can’t solve the crisis alone. We are partnering with legislators and county courts and law enforcement to find better ways to keep people with mental illness out of jail and to help them find treatment and housing in their own communities.