# OR counties unite to modernize state’s contract on mental health

- URL: https://theranews.net/blog/2025-11-18-or-counties-unite-to-modernize-states-contract-on-mental-health/
- Published: 2025-11-18
- Type: Archive summary (AI-assisted summary of third-party reporting)
- Original outlet: Elkhorn Media Group
- Original report: https://elkhornmediagroup.com/or-counties-unite-to-modernize-states-contract-on-mental-health/
- Publisher: TheraNews, operated by AdvancedCare USA Inc.
- Notice: Educational content, not medical, legal, billing or financial advice. Cite the original outlet, not this summary.

> OR counties unite to modernize state’s contract on mental health...

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Oregon Governor Tina Kotek and the Oregon Health Authority announced a shared path toward updating the county financial assistance agreements with Oregon's 36 counties regarding mental health and addiction care needs. The new framework updates decades-old agreements and resolves an impasse that had lasted 18 months, during which state and county officials could not reach consensus over financial responsibility for services.

## The Negotiation Breakthrough

Umatilla County Commissioner John Shafer, who served as chair of the Association of Oregon Counties, described the standoff: "Basically, it just boiled down to dollars and cents—who pays for those services." He noted that counties unified around the issue, unprecedented in his tenure. "The counties all stood up and held a wall. We stood firm and we didn't give." When the official agreement reaches the county, the Board of Commissioners will approve it.

## System Improvements

According to a news release from Governor Kotek's office, the updated agreements will support a more coordinated and responsive system of care designed to improve performance and ensure the strength of a safety-net system. The new framework aims to build a system that is easier to navigate, flexible to the unique needs of each community, more transparent, and better equipped to serve people with mental health and addiction care needs.

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*This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: [https://elkhornmediagroup.com/or-counties-unite-to-modernize-states-contract-on-mental-health/](https://elkhornmediagroup.com/or-counties-unite-to-modernize-states-contract-on-mental-health/)*