Dear COBHC Members,
We hope that summer has welcomed you and you have found time to get outdoors and enjoy what Central Oregon has to offer!
The COBHC has also been working hard, thanks much to your participation, to solidify our didactic training modules – please see the RFQ that we released. We also began recruiting candidates for our LCSW supervisor positions as part of the most recent OHA and COHC grant awards. Our website is up and running, and we have a newly formed job board for your utilization. We are slowly developing a robust Resource Page suitable for the public and professionals alike. Our big summer projects include the announcement of applications for the 2022/23 COBHC cohort, finalization of our Training Committee (please see email dated 07/08/22 titled 2022/23 Training Committee Member Selection), and to solidify our quarterly training topics.
The COBHC was also able to successfully secure additional funding for stipends and operation of the consortium through a grant opportunity with Central Oregon Health Council. The COBHC is thankful for this opportunity, and we are excited to continue to partner with all of you in making these funds useful for the communities we serve. To date, the COBHC has secure an additional $1,050,000 in funds for supervision staffing and service expansion. All of this is for you, the members, and the community we serve.
Community and collaboration are at the core of the COBHC’s mission and values, and while celebration is in order for our collaborative efforts, we must also take a moment and reflect on how our communities will be impacted by the recent reversal of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court. The restriction of access to specific types of reproductive healthcare and the additional comments made by one justice suggesting further removal of rights which are protected under the 14th amendment may cause each of our members to experience varying thoughts, feelings, and experiences related to this recent change made by the Supreme Court. We are mindful of these thoughts and feelings, and lean on our mission statement and values:
To develop competent, culturally sensitive, and curious behavioral health providers that embody the values of Compassion, integrity, accountability, and courage
Our mission and values, which you thoughtfully selected, guide us in how we will educate interns and associates to become affirming providers advocating for the minority and prioritized populations we serve, who learn about themselves and their history and culture, and lead with cultural competence. In this spirit, The COBHC reaffirms the statements of our guiding entities such as the American Psychological Association; American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy; American Counseling Association; and the National Association of Social Workers that reproductive rights are human rights, and private healthcare decisions are between a person and their medical and mental health providers.
