State to Demand More Accountability From Counties Over Mental Health Spending

The Oregon Health Authority is going to demand more accountability for the millions of dollars it hands to counties to spend on behavioral health, according to a state official who presented the plan at a recent public meeting.

The changes, said Christa Jones, were aimed at “setting clear expectations and holding ourselves accountable—and holding the community mental health programs accountable.”

They’ll be incorporated into the next version of what are known as “County Financial Assistance Agreements,” which the state signs with counties to provide mental health services. A 2021 legislative report found the agreements “are cumbersome, do not center outcomes for the people served, and lack accountability and outcome metrics.”

The contract changes come as OHA begins a legislature-mandated “cost study” to determine whether it gives the counties sufficient funding. These new agreements are scheduled to go into effect next summer, Jones said at a meeting of the Oregon Health Policy Board last week.

“It’s a big lift,” she said. “Hopefully, it’s going to be a new way of looking at this work.”