Deschutes County’s North County Health Services Building in Redmond will host a public open house on Tuesday, October 28 to mark the opening of its new, larger location at 406 W Antler Ave. in Redmond. The open house event will take place on site from 4-6pm and include a building tours, staff introductions, food, entertainment and raffle prizes.
The Redmond Chamber of Commerce will be on hand for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4:30pm. And according to Kevin Shaw, supervisor of North County Health Services, “graduates” from the Redmond site’s treatment program will also attend to speak about how the services offered affected their lives.
“One in five people experience mental health issues,” Shaw said. “That would be more than 5,000 people in Redmond alone. To accommodate that population, we’ve increased our services by moving into a larger building.”
Prior to the move, the county’s Redmond-based behavioral health department worked from a roughly 1,000-square-foot facility on SW Canal Boulevard in Redmond. The new facility just north of downtown Redmond – formerly the home of Tax Minimizers – is a 6,500-square-foot building.
According to Shaw, the new facility features a great room, three conference rooms and approximately 15 offices on two levels. Following the move, the facility’s staff increased from three to 11 full-time employees.
“Also what’s new is in the past, we didn’t serve children and families. We only served adults on OHP (Oregon Health Plan),” Shaw said. “Now, we have full services for children and families as well as adults.”
At the North County Health Services building, two new services will be available for Deschutes County residents of all ages: the DEAM Program, a 12-week program that provides treatment to a team of individuals; and Dual Diagnosis for Adolescence, a program to help adolescents with topics relevant to their current environment while also helping them cope with mental health and addiction.
North County Health Services staff members began transitioning into the new location in late May of this year.
About Deschutes County Behavioral Health
Behavioral Health helps Deschutes County residents – those under Oregon Health Plan as well as those who are uninsured – who are facing serious mental health and addiction issues. Staff and contracted agencies also help with people with developmental disabilities and their families. The department also coordinates services for Deschutes County residents in care at the State Hospital or served through other agencies or facilities. These services assist people in need, alleviate community problems, promote client health and prevent more costly care and intervention. For more information, visit www.deschutes.org/Health-Services/Behavioral-Health.aspx.
