Governor Kotek Announces Updated Behavioral Health Agreements for All 36 Oregon Counties

Salem, OR - Governor Tina Kotek, the Association of Oregon Counties (AOC), and the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) today announced that all 36 Oregon counties have executed updated County Financial Assistance Agreements (CFAAs), marking a critical milestone in modernizing the state's behavioral health system. This achievement completes Oregon's transition away from a 30-year-old contractual model and establishes a statewide foundation of clear expectations, measurable accountability, and stronger responsiveness to local community needs.

"Oregonians with mental health or addiction care needs are counting on the service system to work," Governor Kotek said. "This shared commitment means we can move forward together with more urgency, clarity, and purpose."

With all agreements now in place, Oregon gains a real-time, statewide view of how counties deploy state-funded behavioral health resources - where services are strong, where gaps remain, and where future investments must be prioritized to meet community needs. The updated CFAAs were collaboratively developed by the Governor's Office, OHA, and county partners to ensure a coordinated system of care that improves performance and better serves Oregonians.

"Counties are on the front lines delivering services, and now are committed to the clearer expectations, more predictable funding, and shared outcomes these agreements represent," Erin Skaar, AOC President and Tillamook County Commissioner, said. "We are grateful to the Governor's Office for working with counties to make sure we can tailor local programs to better meet our communities' needs."

Historic Investments Strengthen Oregon's Behavioral Health System

Since 2021, the State of Oregon has:

• Invested more than $300 million to expand residential mental health and substance use disorder treatment capacity statewide;
• Funded 24/7 crisis services, including access through the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, and launched the Mobile Crisis Training Academy to ensure consistent training for mobile crisis teams; and
• Expanded behavioral health workforce development through tuition assistance, loan repayment, and recruitment and retention programs to address longstanding workforce shortages.

"Full execution of the CFAAs across all counties is not the finish line - it's the starting line," Ebony Clarke, OHA Behavioral Health Director, said. "These agreements give us the tools to see clearly where our system is performing, where it is falling short, and where we must act with greater urgency. Counties are critical partners, and now we are all aligned and accountable."

The modernized CFAAs create a behavioral health system better grounded in transparency and more responsive to the unique needs of each community. The Governor's Office, counties, and OHA reaffirm their commitment to ensuring that every Oregonian - no matter where they live - can access timely, reliable mental health and addiction services.