Month: February 2014
Pilot program wasn’t supposed to include violations of sidewalk ordinance
The Oregonian, Feb. 27, 2014 Multnomah County prosecutors started a pilot project with Portland police last summer to crack down on people who urinate in public, drink from open containers in public or litter. The Chronic Offender Pilot Project was supposed to go like this: An officer would give offenders of these three violations a […]
Magazine focuses on ’50 years, 50 stories’
From NationalCouncil.org National Council Magazine Issue 2: “50 Years, 50 Stories,” is devoted to the achievements of the last 50 years in mental health and addictions treatment as well as discussing the challenges that remain. Download a PDF of the entire issue: National Council Magazine Issue 2, 2013 (13.7MB)
Chad Brown talks about Soul River, a program connecting veterans and kids with nature [Video]
Cascadia BHC (undated) Chad Brown, of the Healing Hurt People advisory board, founded a program called Soul River. He has found that connecting veterans and inner city kids with nature (through fishing) enhances healing and their sense of purpose in the world. This is the kind of program which compliments the goals of Healing Hurt […]
More opposition testimony in DOJ v. City of Portland
Testimony against the settlement agreement in DOJ v City of Portland, presented the US Judge Michael Simon was strong on February 18. Both parties – the US Department of Justice and the City of Portland – have agreed to the 100+ items in the agreement. Judge Simon sought community on the agreement and invited friends […]
Police union prexy expresses outrage at ‘bashing’ received at Fairness Hearing
The Portland Mercury, Feb 21, 2014 Portland Police Association President Daryl Turner sat through most of this week’s day-and-a-half-long “fairness hearing” on federal police reform in Portland, keeping quiet while some five dozen speakers went before US District Court Judge Michael Simon—many of them begging the judge to reject a reform plan many believe is […]
Multnomah County to get mental health treatment team to serve criminal offenders
The Oregonian, Feb. 11, 2014 Health Share of Oregon has received a nearly $500,000 grant from the state to set up Multnomah County’s first specialized team of mental health professionals dedicated to treating people with severe mental illnesses who have had frequent contact with police or frequent jail stays. Health Share will partner with Cascadia […]
Text of Kristi Jamison’s testimony given at Fairness Hearing
Spoken testimony delivered by Kristi Jamison at the Fairness Hearing, Feb. 18, 2014 “Honorable Judge Simon, members of the court: my name is Kristi Jamison and I am the Executive Director of Empowerment Initiatives, a peer-managed wellness program active in Portland for nearly a decade. I thank you for the opportunity to be heard. I […]
Guest columnist: Boarding psych patients in ER rooms is barbaric
By Sharon Meieran, Guest Columnist, The Oregonian, Feb. 22, 2014 A 14-year-old boy languishes in a windowless cell-like room in Multnomah County. He’s been there for two days, alone, with a “sitter” watching him to make sure he doesn’t try to kill himself. He gets three basic meals and is allowed to exercise a few […]
Father of son with mental illness is advocate for mentally ill Clark County inmates
From The Columbian, February 23, 2014 A retired Episcopalian priest who moved to Vancouver from Columbus, Ohio, a dozen years ago, Don Greenwood has found a second calling. Greenwood, the parent of a son with a mental illness, has become a successful advocate for mentally ill inmates in Clark County. Pushing for change in a […]