The history of Community Counseling Solutions is long and colorful. In fact, it extends all the way back to the 1970's. It was at that time that the State of Oregon created what they called local mental health authorities. These authorities were actually the counties of Oregon, and the state decided that each county could operate a community mental health program itself, or it could contract with a private not-for-profit mental health agency. So, Morrow County instituted its own community mental health program called Morrow County Mental Health. In those early days, Morrow County temporarily paired with Wheeler County and at one time Gilliam County, but it wasn't until 1996 that they joined for good. The agency changed its name to Morrow County Behavioral Health to avoid the stigma associated with the term "mental health."

In 1996, when Wheeler County joined, the agency entered into a unique agreement with the Wheeler County Commission of Children and Families, Wheeler County, and the Juvenile Crime Prevention Program. They created a school-based counselor program that was completely unmatched in kind. The agency assigned a clinician to the schools in Wheeler County to do both mental health and addictions counseling at no cost whatsoever to the kids, with no formal intake packet required. This streamlined access of services to schoolchildren, meaning all they had to do was reach out for help. The program is still growing strong and provides services and resources to over 300 children. The Wheeler County School-Based Counselor Program has demonstrated results in reduction in juvenile crime, improved academics, and improved cognitive skills.

In 2004, the administration of Morrow County Behavioral Health and the Morrow County commissioners were in agreement that the agency would be better able to serve the needs of Morrow and Wheeler Counties if it became a private not-for-profit agency. The 501(c)3 application was completed, a board of directors was chosen, contracts were signed, and on July 1, 2007, the official name of the agency became Morrow Wheeler Behavioral Health. In March 2008, Gilliam and Grant Counties contracted with the agency and that year the name changed again to its present name of Community Counseling Solutions.

Through a partnership with Columbia Care, we were able to help establish Columbia River Ranch and provide all of its clinical services. Columbia River Ranch was the first residential treatment facility for those with severe and persistent mental illness in eastern Oregon. Seeing a need for more advanced psychiatric care on this side of the state, Community Counseling Solutions developed a secure residential treatment facility in south Morrow County called Lakeview Heights, which it owns and operates. This facility provides services to eligible individuals with severe and persistent mental illness who are currently in a state hospital level of care but who are no longer dangerous to themselves or others. Lakeview Heights has eight state-funded beds and two crisis beds, and gives priority to residents of Morrow, Wheeler, Gilliam, and Grant counties. CCS is currently undertaking yet another ambitious project—an acute care facility in John Day, Oregon. This facility will fill a huge need for eastern Oregon in providing emergency inpatient psychiatric services.

When Morrow County Mental Health first started operating, there were only three staff members: a director, a clinician, and a part-time receptionist. It was based in south Morrow County, but they did use space in the north county occasionally. It wasn't until another office manager was hired, who is still employed with the agency today, that a north county office could be officially established. Today, the agency has a staff size of about 30, and this will soon be expanded to approximately 45 when our new secure residential treatment facility is opened in Heppner.

Today, our statistics are some of the best in the state. Per capita, we have the lowest rate of civil commitments in Oregon. We have one of the lowest rates for hospitalizations for adults and children, and we demonstrate some of the best outcomes in continuity of care. We have very few out-of-home placements for our youth, and Wheeler County, because of the unique arrangement with their school system, has the highest penetration rate for kids, per capita. We have created mid-level alternatives for adults and youth so that people can receive the care they need in the very community in which they live. Some of these alternatives include a formal and informal crisis respite, and a therapeutic foster care homes in north and south Morrow County and south Gilliam County. This translates to approximately a 75% savings of monetary resources as compared to acute care placement that would be otherwise required. This is considerable savings to the taxpayer and a much more responsible use of funds, and we have as good or better outcomes.

With these accomplishments behind us and our goals before us, Community Counseling Solutions is striving to continue providing high quality behavioral health care to the residents of eastern Oregon. We are writing the next chapter in our history, the brightest yet.