An update from Oregon Washington Health Network as JREP funding winds down
“Our mission in Eastern Oregon is to interrupt cycles of community violence by promoting healing, reducing incarceration, confronting health disparities and building safer, more resilient communities. With the help of NWHF and LCCL over the past two years, we have made great strides in fulfilling our mission. ”
Luis Ibarra and Jesus Rome
Jesus Rome
Asuzena Ochoa
Since acquiring JREP funding and having the support of Northwest Health Foundation and Latino Coalition for Community Leadership, Oregon Washington Health Network (OWhN) has created the following successful programs, offered in both English and Spanish, led by team members Asuzena Ochoa, Luis Ibarra, and Jesus Rome.
Caring Dads Program
This 17-week program is education-driven and designed to help fathers build healthier, more nurturing relationships with their children by ending controlling, abusive, and neglectful behaviors. Through this program, fathers gain a deeper understanding of how their choices affect their children and learn practical strategies to foster safe and supportive father-child relationships. Caring Dads was recently approved by our region’s Coordinating Care Organization as a service we can bill with other behavioral health groups as part of a substance-use disorder treatment plan. This is a huge step to financial stability for the program.
Anger Management
This program provides individuals with the skills, knowledge, and practice needed to manage anger and other difficult emotions with confidence and ease. This 12-week education-based program includes group classes, at-home exercises, and interactive worksheets for note-taking and skill development. Concepts and strategies are reinforced through a combination of in-session learning and continued practice outside of class, helping participants build lasting, practical tools for self-regulation. It continues our commitment to providing culturally responsive classes.
The above programs will also be provided at Two Rivers Correctional Institute (Umatilla) and Eastern Oregon Correctional Institute (Pendleton) this year.
Batterers Intervention Program (BIP)
This program consists of a minimum of 36 sessions, including group and individual counseling. BIP is an education and skills development program for domestic violence offenders. The program aims to address controlling and abusive violence from the lives of the clients and their families. Partners including Community Counseling Solutions, TM Counseling and Umatilla County.
Eastern Oregon Re-Entry Team - (first time ever)
This team was established to address the need for community organizations to collaborate and work closely together to serve adults in custody (AIC), coming out of prison and returning back to Umatilla and Morrow counties. At this time, we have nine community organizations attending these meetings, including county parole and probation, local churches, programs that are aligned in similar work toward unhoused and underserved, and correctional institute re-entry counselors. And we feel honored to have former adults in custody join the meetings to participate and lend their lived experience as well.
Eastern Oregon Survival Impact Panel - (Starting in March for the first time ever!)
With Luis, this program was created last year and meeting quarterly. Batters Intervention Program clients who are halfway through their treatment are required to attend. The Survivor Impact Panel is a group of three domestic violence survivors who speak to their lived experience. The purpose of these sessions is not to blame but simply tell their stories, describe how their lives and the lives of their families and friends were affected by the abuse. There are several partners who ensure the success of this program, including Umatilla County parole and probation, Domestic Violence Services, and the Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian Reservation Family Violence Services.
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Considering that JREP funding is coming to an end, it is paramount that OWhN CTC works proactively to diversify our funding streams. We are also exploring additional partnerships, including in neighboring Wasco and Hood River counties, and additional certifications for staff so that services are billable. OWhN also has been working to expand services to the Milton Freewater area for another population who would greatly benefit from culturally responsive programs such as these to complement our already-established substance use treatment and peer services through COPES.
Our mission in Eastern Oregon is to interrupt cycles of community violence by promoting healing, reducing incarceration, confronting health disparities and building safer, more resilient communities. With the help of NWHF and LCCL over the past two years, we have made great strides in fulfilling our mission. We are looking forward to attending the Two Rivers Correctional Institute’s fair for AICs this May and will continue to coordinate with other organizations to support re-entry. Even though JREP funding will no longer be available, we will continue to move forward with our programs to serve this population, because our services are so desperately needed with the limited resources in Eastern Oregon.
