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What is the mission of 18JAV? 

Our organizational mission is simple: we promote a healthy community by providing quality and culturally responsive mental health and addiction services across the lifespan throughout Washington, Clackamas and Multnomah counties. 

We take a holistic approach to behavioral health, supporting our clients as whole people rather than simply a diagnosis. That means working with patients across the lifespan, from prenatal to older adults. We also offer Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC) that integrate behavioral health care with our clients’ primary medical care needs.  

What are 18JAV’s main programs and services? 

We focus on three primary types of services: mental health services, addiction treatment and prevention services. 

The mental health services we offer include both outpatient and residential care, and our clinicians are trained to work with a range of issues, including severe mental health issues. Just a few of our specialized programs include supporting families; treating children and adolescents who are struggling with a traditional school environment; and helping young people who are dealing with signs of emerging psychosis. 

Our addiction programs not only focus on substance use disorders, but also support clients struggling with problem gambling. We have multiple programs for youth and adults, and residential and outpatient sites. Clients are supported by an entire team to help them overcome their addiction and reach their personal goals. Our staff includes not just therapists, but also peer support specialists who have lived experience and personal insights to share. 

Prevention services are focused on developing healthy children, families and communities. We help families learn healthy parenting strategies, how to set children up for success, and develop important life skills of their own. 

To see some real-life examples of how our services have helped clients overcome obstacles and get their lives on track, read the success stories we’ve posted on our website. 

How can you support 18JAV’s work? 

Are you ready to help support our efforts? While you’re there, you can choose specific programs to support. It only takes a few minutes, and the support you give today will have a positive impact on our community for years to come. 

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Many of you may already be aware of an alarming rise in hate speech towards transgender people in the media. Earlier this month, a host from The Daily Wire went so far as to call for “transgenderism [to be] eradicated from public life.” Sadly, these verbal attacks often have real-world consequences. The Williams Institute at UCLA has found that trans people are four times more likely than cisgender people to be victims of violent crime, and FBI and other law enforcement data indicates that hate crimes against the trans community have been steadily rising for several years.

At 18JAV, we condemn hate and stand in solidarity with the transgender community. The American Psychological Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association, World Health Organization and dozens of other top health agencies all state that being transgender, nonbinary or gender nonconforming is not a delusion or a mental illness. Every major medical and behavioral health organization agrees that gender affirming care is necessary and lifesaving for transgender clients who desire it. As a behavioral health provider, we will follow the accepted standards of care when serving our LGBTQ clients, affirming their identities and helping them access the resources they need to thrive.

We know this is a difficult time not only for our gender diverse staff, but also those who strive to be allies to the LGBTQ community. It can be hard to know how to respond to these events. We encourage all staff to take advantage of the trainings and resources available to learn more about transgender health care, and to make an extra effort to use the chosen name and pronouns of those around you and use language that affirms their identities. As an agency, unfortunately we aren’t able to rid the world of hate and bias, but we can all do our part to support the gender diverse people around us.

Mary (she/her) and Orion (he/they)

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• Beaverton
• Hillsboro-Walnut
• Rockwood

Hawthorn Crisis Center plans to offer their regular hours.

Our International Way, King, Tigard and Sylvan sites will be closed to in-person and convert to all Telehealth. Our Gladstone, St. John’s and Main Street sites will be closed to on-site services.

The Genoa Pharmacies at our Rockwood and Beaverton sites plan to offer curbside pickup, but clients should call them before arrival, as schedules are based on the weather conditions.

Before visiting any sites, please check this page for the latest information.

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We’ll be closed:

• Thanksgiving – Thursday, November 24
• Day after Thanksgiving – Friday, November25
• Christmas (Observed) – Monday, December 26
• New Year’s Day (Observed) – Monday, January 2

If you’re experiencing a crisis during a closure, you can reach our night, weekend and holiday line at ​971-244-4635.

If you are experiencing an emergency, please call 911 or the suicide prevention lifeline at 988.

Our Hawthorn Walk-in Center for mental health and addictions care is not able to accept unscheduled walk-ins. Washington County community members who need help should call the Washington County Crisis Line at 503-291-9111. The line is answered every day of the year, 24 hours a day, by trained professionals who can help decide the best option for care. This may include:

• Assistance by phone
• Connection with Hawthorn staff
• Arranging for mobile crisis response

The holiday season can be a difficult time for mental health, so please don’t hesitate to reach out to any of these resources if you’re struggling. You are not alone!

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A health care clinician referred Jamie [not real name] to 18JAV’s Adult Rehabilitation Services four years ago because of an increase in severe psychotic episodes. She suffers from depression and mania, which make it hard for her to stay motivated, follow through with job related tasks, and maintain a job. When her symptoms worsen, Jamie becomes irritable and loses cognitive function and memory, which are compounded by a traumatic brain injury.

Jamie came to 18JAV for support in managing her symptoms with medication and clinical services and to develop the skills necessary to be successful in a work environment. Jamie has actively participated in services, including mental health and medication services, which helped her to process the events of her life and better manage her symptoms with regular medication.

“While working with supported employment, she has been successful in participating in the a program connected to Vocational Rehabilitation, and has risen to the occasion of learning the necessary skills to help her be successful in the work environment,” says Heidy.

On an ongoing basis, Jamie continues to receive medication management and clinical services to process traumatic events and maintain coping skills. She also meets regularly with her supported employment specialist for support with problem solving and skills training to improve her time management skills and be more effective in her daily routine, productivity and memory.

“We’re so happy for Jamie and her hard work and success,” says Heidy. “She has been able to maintain her job, repair her vehicle, and is enjoying her work in a store. She’s excited to be in the community and being part of her work organization, and that’s what we all want for our clients—that they get to experience the community as an integrated citizen and lead an independent and purposeful life.”

According to Jamie, she has become more vulnerable and transparent, and her confidence has increased. She reports this being the longest period of being gainfully and successfully employed she’s ever experienced. Jamie was hired in April and has since graduated from Vocational Rehabilitation Services because she has been able to better focus on her tasks and learn the duties of her job. Since starting her job, Jamie’s been able to save for her own apartment, which she intends to have one day.

Her work supervisor says, “[She] has been a model employee and has had a positive transition into the workforce. Jamie’s last job was almost four years ago, and she has adapted to the… culture and learned her duties in a satisfactory way.”

According to her supervisor, Jamie’s new job has been beneficial for both her and the company.

Jamie feels that her work is stable and that she will be able to retain her position for a long period of time.

“I feel successful, I have a job, steady income, have formed new relationships at work, and I get to provide customers with a good experience when they come into the store,” Jamie says. “I am satisfied with my progress and with the support I received from my supported employment specialist and Voc Rehab.”

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Supported Education Services focus on something at the core of most people’s lives – education. Whether that be finally attaining their GED, working towards a certificate or associate’s degree, preparing for an apprenticeship, working towards a bachelor’s degree, or even in some cases working towards a master’s degree, supported education is here to assist students towards their goals. It gives our consumers something to reach for and work toward. It normalizes their experiences and attempts to reduce the stigma often related to mental health by incorporating students into settings they may have otherwise believed were outside their reach. Additionally, Supported Education Services gives the consumer a very tangible place for them to practice the skills that they have been working on with their therapists and case managers and provides a support system to relay information back to the team if additional support is needed.

Joshua connected with 18JAV in 2019, and received support from a therapist, service coordinator, and eventually Supported Education services.

He says “I came to 18JAV because I was tired of feeling unstable. I wasn’t taking medication regularly and just felt lost and overwhelmed. I felt like a prisoner in my own mind. I was diagnosed [with] Bipolar. The mood swings can be kind of a nightmare for myself and for others. I’ve been hospitalized several times.”

According to Jen, before he began working with our clinical team, Joshua had many fluctuations, leading to difficulty maintaining relationships, as well as work and school.

“My student Joshua, (not his real name)” says Jen, Supported Education specialist “connected with Supported Education Services in early 2021 because he had significant difficulty during prior educational experiences. Joshua had made several attempts at higher education in the past and had difficulty maintaining a high GPA due to mental health episodes. He asked for assistance getting re-enrolled at Portland Community College (PCC).”

As part of Joshua’s Supported Education Services, Jen and Joshua discussed scheduling and study skills, work-life balance, and how many credits he could take on without becoming overwhelmed. Jen also helped him connect with resources, such as disability services, to ensure he had the necessary support to do well in classes.

While working toward success at PCC, Joshua also wanted support in keeping track of the process of completing the steps necessary to transfer to Portland State University (PSU) to finish his bachelor’s degree as soon as possible.

Joshua and Jen coordinated with PSU in preparation to transfer. “This included connecting to transfer advisors to plan the classes and GPA to transfer, and ensuring that he had the necessary financial aid in order to pay for his classes. Paying out of pocket was not an option,” says Jen.

Joshua and Jen figured out that if he started in the fall of 2021, he would not only qualify for a Pell Grant, but he would also qualify for a great program that PSU offers called “Transfers Finish Free.” This program covers any costs for tuition and fees that the Pell Grant does not cover (excluding books, supplies and living fees).

“Each term, we discuss class-load and what success looks like,” says Jen. “During spring term, he took 12 credits and passed with two As and a B! With his goal of reaching his bachelor’s degree in sight, he shifted his goals higher!”

Joshua has always had a passion for working with children. When he initially spoke of his dream job, he shared hopes of becoming a school counselor. After looking into this further, Joshua discovered that he would need to attend a master’s level program. At first, this felt like it was somewhat out of reach, but with his recent success and the help of his Supported Education specialist, he’s taken his first steps towards pursuing admission to PSU’s Master in School Counseling program.

“Last week, we attended an information session together and learned about the admission requirements and programs he can participate in to overcome some of his prior difficulties,” says Jen. “He hopes to start in Fall 2023. If he takes nine credits of master’s level coursework prior to applying, it will supersede his bachelor’s level GPA. He is unsure if he will complete all the necessary pre-requisites by the January deadline, but we are highly optimistic.”

“Jen has been amazing and so patient helping me not feel so overwhelmed with returning to school,” says Joshua.

“All his 18JAV team are so impressed with his efforts,” says Jen. “And we wish him the very best going forward.”

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Dr. Bos’ dual role as faculty at OHSU as well as medical director at 18JAV has been helpful in bridging the academic training environment at OHSU with the community mental health work done at 18JAV.

“This is an exciting partnership with CareOregon and OHSU,” says Dr. Bos. “The Bridge Clinic not only addresses an urgent clinical need but also provides an opportunity for child psychiatrists in training to learn about community mental health and specifically about the valuable work that our teams do at Lifeworks NW. My decision to focus on community mental health in my career was shaped by the experiences I was exposed to during training. Increasing opportunities for psychiatrists in training to be part of our teams at 18JAV is a chance for us to strengthen workforce development in community psychiatry.”

The Bridge Clinic provides brief, outpatient community-based psychiatric services, including medication management. The Bridge Clinic supports youth (under the age of 18) who have CareOregon/OHP benefits and who are in need of more urgent psychiatric services during the waiting period for those services to be established.

The Bridge Clinic provides the following short-term services:

• Psychiatric medication management (consultation and treatment)
• Brief individual and family psychotherapy interventions
• Ongoing safety assessment and planning
• Care coordination (facilitating transitions and coordinating care between programs)

The clinic is staffed by a 18JAV triple boarded attending psychiatrist, Dr. Cortney Taylor, two OHSU child fellows that will rotate every 6 months, a QMHP and care coordinators.

“This rotation is intended to help fellows learn about the continuum of care, providing a high-quality community bridge to care for youth and families who are vulnerable to gaps in care,” says Selena Griffin, program director of 18JAV Medical Services”

The heart of the Bridge Clinic is an effort to establish epistemic trust—demonstrating that there is follow-up and care, not only in name but also in reality, helping a young person move from crisis to recovery. The rotation is structured to allow for fellows to take the time they need as they learn to work with vulnerable patients and families to provide trauma-informed care.

“I am thrilled to be part of this new collaboration between CareOregon, OHSU and 18JAV,” says Dr. Taylor. “This clinic will allow families in need to get into medical services quickly, and we are very excited to be able to offer this to youth during times of transition in mental health treatment.

“I am very excited to get involved in teaching child psychiatry fellows, and hopefully this collaboration will encourage future child psychiatrists to work in community mental health and stay in the Tri-County area. Kristen Halaas and I are doing our best to provide a collaborative and supportive training experience for the fellows. This partnership is off to a great start and is a wonderful way to expand the valuable and quality care provided at 18JAV.”

For now, the Bridge Clinic is focused on referrals from a limited number of community partners, particularly for youth and adolescents who are stepping down from a higher level of care such as psychiatric inpatient care.

“Hopefully, we will be able to learn from this Bridge Clinic and consider similar opportunities in the future to think creatively about how to both improve the care available to our clients, as well as to increase training and workforce development opportunities in community mental health,” says Dr. Bos.

Photo of our Bridge Clinic Team at 18JAV. (Left to right) Attending psychiatrist Dr. Cortney Taylor; Kristen Halaas, QMHP; and Maddy Jacobs, OHSU child fellow. (Not pictured) Monica Uppal, OHSU child fellow. Dr. Karen Bos and Selena Griffin oversee the Bridge Clinic staff.

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“The expansion of REAL is part of that state initiative,” says Erin Sewell, service director of Child, Youth, Family and Prevention Services. “We really saw an opportunity to bring culturally specific and culturally focused services to Washington County in a new way.”

REAL provides culturally specific alcohol and other drug treatment for African American adolescents and African immigrant youth. The need for it stems from the fact that historically many African American youth are not well served by traditional academic and other youth settings and are over-represented in the juvenile justice system.

REAL staff provide substance use and behavioral health assessments, individual and group substance abuse therapy, family therapy, case management, skills training, mentoring, multi-family support groups and other services as needed. The also provide full services to youth with a dual diagnosis.

“While it traditionally serves teens up to 18, we have also included transitional aged youth in some cases,” says Erin. “The program provides services on site, in the community and through Telehealth, and is primarily offered through fee for service authorizations.”

The Washington County REAL also will expand efforts to serve the many African immigrants who have moved to Beaverton and SW Portland and are often underserved by behavioral health. Family engagement and family support are critical parts of REAL, and services are not only for the youth. Instead, families are included in the program and wrapped into the support.

“REAL is a unique program,” says Erin. “It offers very creative, flexible, intuitive programming to engage youth and families that often have a lot of mistrust of mental health and substance use disorder systems. And it offers us the opportunity to reach communities that are historically underserved.”

“The Washington County REAL program will bring services to the area that families often have to go to Portland to get. We hope to expand on that by developing relationships with our community partners, Washington County Juvenile Department and other community agencies.”

Editor’s Note: If you know of friends or colleagues interested in the program, 18JAV will be hiring QMHP, CADC and CRM for this program. Referral bonuses are available.

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If so, we want to talk to you! We know that members of BIPOC communities are less likely to receive the health care and services they need, and that culturally responsive care is critical for providing the best support possible to our clients. 

That’s why we’re offering job interviews to BIPOC community members in substance use recovery and providing the training needed to become a Certified Recovery Mentor. To apply, you just need to have an interest in providing resources to others in recovery and helping them identify and meet their recovery goals. We’re also offering additional compensation for bilingual applicants. 

If hired, we will pay your way to certification, providing a salary, benefits, and the equipment you’ll need as you train for the role. The training is structured as a 40-hour hybrid course – 24-hours live, and 16-hours online. 

If you’d like to learn more about this exciting career and apply for this opportunity, please reach out to HRinbox@lifeworksnw.org. 

Help us spread the word! If you know anyone who would be a good fit for this role, please send them to this page, or share our flyers in English and Spanish.  

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