Four strategic investments would mean more trained people to help Oregonians get the mental health and addiction care they need.

On March 18th, Governor Tina Kotek testified in support of Senate Bill 142 which would fund the key workforce investments of her 2025 Behavioral Health Initiative to increase capacity and access to mental health and addiction care in Oregon.

“Right now, depending on where you live or what help you need to address a mental health or addiction challenge, there are probably not enough people available to help you,” Governor Kotek said. “At the same time, people considering a career in mental health and addiction care struggle to enter and stay in the field. We need to keep working to fix these problems.”

The Governor’s proposal leverages findings of recent studies as well as existing programs to make targeted investments to increase the number of providers in Oregon, especially those serving the most acute patient populations, specifically:

• $20 million for workforce development that would bring an estimated 4,000 people into health care careers in mental health and addiction care. This funding would support expanding education and training opportunities by increasing instructor capacity and supporting clinical placement capacity to increase degrees and certificates in critical workforce shortage occupations for community mental health settings.
  
  
• $5 million for scholarships to support an additional 200 students pursuing careers in mental health and addiction care.
  
  
• $8.9 million for loan repayment and loan forgiveness programs so that approximately 140 master-level clinicians can resolve their debt if they work in the publicly funded behavioral health system for up to two years.
  
  
• $13.8 million for grants to tribe and community providers to retain their direct care staff. This is crucial funding to support at least 1,000 employees of community-based providers and Tribes to deploy retention strategies including housing stipends, loan repayment, and other wraparound supports.

The Governor’s Recommended Budget for the next two years maintains a dual strategy of increasing treatment capacity and strengthening the available workforce. In addition to these workforce investments, her budget also recommends $90 million for 363 new treatment beds.

Learn more about her recommended investments within her 2025 Behavioral Health Initiative here.