The Oregon Health Authority's slow churn in addressing the state's drug crisis has left residential treatment providers hanging for months, sparking criticism and concern amongst advocates and industry insiders. Despite having numerous "shovel ready" projects in the pipeline aimed at tackling the opioid epidemic, providers report having to play the waiting game due to the authority's sluggish funding decisions, according to a report by the Capital Chronicle.
In August, treatment providers were quick to pitch in with details on 16 potential projects after the authority sought applications to boost state efforts against addiction. Some of these applicants had buildings lined up, partial funding secured, and contractors on standby for necessary renovations, as detailed to the Portland Tribune. However, an apparent disconnect with the authority's sense of urgency has left these projects in limbo.
With overdoses rising and fentanyl flooding the streets, the need for such projects is dire. The state's inability to promptly release funds, earmarked specifically to battle this epidemic, is resulting in severe real-world delays. "What I hear from my members is the slow response and lack of clarity and untimely payment processes is very concerning to all of our members," Heather Jefferis, executive director of the Oregon Council for Behavioral Health, told the Capital Chronicle.
On the legislative front, Oregon lawmakers aren't dragging their feet, having allocated $158 million for various behavioral health initiatives in the 2023 session. It included $15 million for the construction and expansion of addiction treatment facilities. But despite these allocations and a pressing report that identified a shortcoming of nearly 3,000 beds for adults needing addiction or mental health care, not a single penny of the earmarked construction funds has been dispensed. This bottleneck is occurring even as lawmakers seek ways to inject more funds in the current session, reported the Oregon Capital Insider.
Oregon Health Authority officials claim that progress is being made with "urgency," yet specifics on how the authority is expediting funds remain unclear. Dr. Sejal Hathi, the newly appointed director of the Oregon Health Authority, in an interview with the Oregon Capital Insider, mentioned identifying approximately $87 million in "immediately available" funds for these shovel-ready projects. Yet she highlighted that addressing the full scale of Oregon's behavioral health crisis could take over five years and require in excess of $500 million in legislative investments, framing the situation as a "marathon" rather than a "sprint."
