Oh, no. Sorry to relay this, but it may be important for people in Eugene to be aware. From The Register Guard, 9-11-14 Closure will hurt mental health care (by Brenton Gickers, CAHOOTS) On Monday, ShelterCare’s Royal Avenue Program will close after 28 years of operation. Located at Highway 99 and Royal Avenue, RAP has provided respite services to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis whose needs are severe enough to warrant being in a supervised, therapeutic environment but not severe enough to warrant prolonged hospitalization. For hospital mental health staff, RAP has been a more accessible and affordable alternative to inpatient psychiatric services such as provided by PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center University District’s Johnson Unit. The Johnson Unit, overwhelmed by a mentally ill population with increasingly severe needs, is mainly for those with the most extreme suicidal ideation, mania or psychosis. Many people who are good candidates for RAP but not for the Johnson Unit will now be discharged back to bad circumstances. The program I work for (but don’t represent), CAHOOTS, has always had a special relationship with RAP, helping its staff manage their guest’s complex issues while helping us provide shelter and respite services to clients ranging from battered women fleeing abusive situations to homeless schizophrenics who may freeze to death in the winter without such a resource. RAP is closing, of course, because of money. As usual with our broken system, the loss of such a service means a bigger workload for much more expensive jail and hospital services, while service providers are left with fewer options to help those in distress.
Posted on: Thu, 11 Sep 2014 21:36:57 +0000