Wasco County receives $2M Congressional Directives grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration

Columbia gorge crisis resolution center - Wasco County, in partnership with mid-columbia center for living (mccfl), the county's designated community mental health program (cmhp), proposes to develop an 18-24 bed residential substance use disorder (sud) treatment facility in Wasco County, Oregon, to address critical treatment capacity shortages and strengthen Oregon's behavioral health continuum of care. Through an intergovernmental agreement with Wasco County, mccfl performs delegated local mental health authority (lmha) functions and serves as the region's primary behavioral health safety-net provider. Oregon continues to experience significant unmet demand for residential sud treatment services. Individuals seeking care frequently encounter waitlists, limited bed availability, and long travel distances, delaying treatment and disrupting recovery. These barriers contribute to increased overdose risk, preventable emergency department utilization, homelessness, criminal justice involvement, and poorer long-term health outcomes. The need for additional residential treatment capacity has been consistently identified through statewide and regional behavioral health planning efforts, community health assessments, and stakeholder engagement activities. The proposed facility will provide a therapeutic, recovery-oriented environment that supports stabilization, intensive treatment, life skills development, and successful transition to community-based recovery supports. Services will be integrated with behavioral health treatment, healthcare, peer support, care coordination, and recovery support services to promote whole-person care and long-term recovery. Residents will receive individualized treatment plans and evidence-based services designed to support sustained wellness and community reintegration. Located in the columbia gorge region, the facility will serve adults from throughout Oregon while addressing longstanding service gaps in rural and frontier communities. Priority populations include individuals with low incomes, people experiencing housing instability, justice-involved individuals, and others who face barriers to accessing timely treatment. By increasing statewide residential treatment capacity, the project will improve access to care, reduce disparities, and provide a critical resource for individuals seeking recovery. Wasco County and mccfl will collaborate with healthcare providers, coordinated care organizations, tribal partners, community-based organizations, recovery community organizations, and local governments to support coordinated referrals, continuity of care, and successful transitions between treatment settings. The project aligns with state and regional priorities to expand behavioral health infrastructure, increase access to sud treatment services, reduce overdose risk, improve recovery outcomes, and strengthen Oregon's behavioral health system. The facility will also support broader community goals related to public health, housing stability, and reduced reliance on emergency and criminal justice systems. Upon completion, the project will establish sustainable residential treatment capacity that expands access to high-quality, person-centered care and strengthens Oregon's ability to respond to substance use disorders through an integrated, recovery-oriented continuum of care.