Behavioral Health endorses a recovery philosophy and believes that treatment should be community based as much as possible to incorporate the adult's existing support systems. Our system of care for adults encompasses a variety of programs including outpatient treatment, intensive services such as assertive community treatment, crisis respite, and inpatient treatment.
We serve Oregon Health Plan members enrolled in Health Share of Oregon/Multnomah Mental Health as well as individuals who need treatment but do not have health insurance.
If you want help finding the right treatment and Multnomah Mental Health is your mental health insurance plan, call Member Services at 503.988.5887. If you don't have insurance and need help finding treatment, call the Mental Health Call Center at 503.988.4888. Both of these numbers are 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Visit the Cover Oregon web site to find out what insurance options are available to you. Visit our Get Informed page for information about your rights and responsibilities as a consumer, links to the member handbook, and much more.
Outpatient Treatment
We contract with providers to serve consumers in the community as much as possible, amid their own support system rather than in a clinical environment.
Emergency Holds
When a county resident becomes dangerous to him- or herself or others, he or she may be placed on an "emergency hold" -i.e. be involuntarily hospitalized- while stabilizing. If the person cannot pay for the hospitalization, state law requires the county to cover the costs.
Involuntary Commitment Investigation
Every time a county resident is placed on an emergency hold, county staff investigate to ensure that the hold was appropriate. If they determine that it was, a hearing is held, and a court examiner makes an independent recommendation to a judge.
Commitment Monitors
County staff continually assess county residents who have been placed on emergency hold to make sure that they are not involuntary committed longer than necessary. They also work with hospital staff to develop treatment and discharge plans for committed individuals, monitor individuals' trial visits to the community, and help individual access financial and medical entitlements.
Transitional Housing
Transitional housing is for adults with a mental illness who have recently been discharged from an institution but still need intensive treatment. In transitional housing, staff provide mental health services and help residents find more permanent housing.
Residential Services
Residential Services staff provide regulatory oversight and technical assistance to residential treatment and housing programs for adults with severe and persistent mental illness, monitoring provider adherence to state and county licensing standards. Residential Specialists also provide trainings for staff of residential treatment programs and mental health adult foster care homes, and facilitate development of new programs. Residential Services, as part of Multnomah County's Community Mental Health Program, oversees health, safety and welfare standards for clients of mental health residential programs and homes.