From: KARL BRIMNER
To: THE USUAL SUSPECTS
Sent: Tuesday, August 2, 2011 1:30 PM
Subject: Retirement
Good afternoon to all:
I have important news that I would like to share with you. I will be retiring from my position as Director of the Mental Health & Addiction Services Division as of August 26, 2011. I have enjoyed the challenges and rewards of the position and acknowledge the efforts of staff and community partners in pursuit of establishing a stable, effective behavioral health care system in Multnomah County. My decision to retire has not been easy to make because I enjoy the work I have been involved with for the past five years. However, in recent months, I have been considering my retirement and have had discussions about leaving my position with the county. Given some recent personal experiences and the desire to reduce the pace of my work commitment, my decision to retire seems like the right move to make at this time.
It has been an honor for me to serve Multnomah County and this community. I have provided safe and consistent leadership for the past five years to a strong team that has worked tirelessly, resulting in many accomplishments. Some of the accomplishments I am most proud of during my tenure highlight strategies that resulted in the development of a comprehensive system of care for children and adults, and includes:
* Developed a three year Strategic plan targeting three initiatives to transform the mental health system and achieved or made significant progress on all initiatives in the first year;
* Built strong community partnerships, including those with local DHS-CAF, providers, and with Care Oregon to develop pilot projects designed to meet unique community needs and promote efficiency;
* Transformed mental health service delivery from institutional care to community-based models;
* Empowered consumer voice and meaningful involvement in policy and program development;
* Established an outcome measurement system to enable communication of results of services delivered;
* Developed the resources, technical assistance, and training to enhance the service provider system;
* Worked with staff and community to provide direction in the development of our system of care; and
* Established accountability in the system and incentivize good clinical practices.
In light of these achievements, I have confidence in the MHASD team and this community to continue to be successful in meeting goals established in the Strategic Plan and to adapt to coming changes in the statewide health care delivery system.
Sincerely,
Karl R. Brimner