Disability Rights Oregon – Mental Health PDX

Oregon DOC Agrees to Reduce Isolation and Improve the Care of Seriously Mentally Ill Adults in the Behavioral Health Unit

January 13, 2016

This press release was being jointly issued by Disability Rights Oregon and Oregon Department of Corrections The Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) and Disability Rights Oregon (DRO) have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding between the two organizations, effective January 8, 2016. The Memorandum solidifies DOC’s commitment to improving its management of adults in custody […]

Inmates with severe mental illnesses subject to isolation, restraint, brutality, DRO investigation shows

April 29, 2015

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The Oregonian, April 8, 2015 Prisoners in the Oregon State Penitentiary unit reserved for inmates with the most severe mental illnesses spend months, sometimes years in small cells with no natural light or outdoor access and rarely get to speak with others, according to an investigation by Disability Rights Oregon. Most are in their cells […]

Oregon House passes bill requiring ERs to document every use of forced isolation

March 11, 2015

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The Lund Report, March 6, 2015 HB 2363 puts Oregon Health Authority administrative rules into statute in an effort to minimize the use of non-therapeutic isolation of patients who come to emergency rooms during a mental breakdown but are locked in a room while receiving minimal treatment. Some Republicans objected to micro-managing the administrative process […]

Disability Rights Oregon 2014 Community Insights Survey

September 7, 2014

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Annually, Disability Rights Oregon conducts a survey to solicit additional input regarding the needs of Oregonians with disabilities. Disability Rights Oregon’s mission is to promote and defend the rights of individuals with disabilities. We envision a society in which persons with disabilities have equality of opportunity, full participation and the ability to exercise meaningful choice. […]

Psych Central signs on to help defeat pro-force, anti-rights House bill, HR 3717, the “Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act”

April 21, 2014

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By Jenny Westberg, Portland Mental Health Examiner, April 21, 2014 An anti-civil rights bill that purports to fix the “broken mental health system” but would actually gut that system has picked up a new and formidable opponent. Psych Central — and the more than 350,000 Americans it represents – last week came out strongly against […]

More opposition testimony in DOJ v. City of Portland

February 26, 2014

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Testimony against the settlement agreement in DOJ v City of Portland, presented the US Judge Michael Simon was strong on February 18. Both parties – the US Department of Justice and the City of Portland – have agreed to the 100+ items in the agreement. Judge Simon sought community on the agreement and invited friends […]

City Council defers changes to IPR

October 24, 2013

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By Helen Silvis, The Skanner, Oct. 23, 2013 Portland City Council deferred a decision on a string of proposals from the auditor’s office to make changes to the Independent Police Review Division. The council will address the proposals Dec. 4 after more study. Constantin Severe, IPR director, introduced the new proposals, which include: giving the […]

Job opening: Advocate position with Disability Rights Oregon

April 24, 2013

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Disability Rights Oregon (DRO), Oregon’s Protection and Advocacy System for individuals with disabilities is seeking an Advocate to perform advocacy for clients with mental health diagnoses and investigation of complaints of abuse or neglect. DRO is a non-profit law office designated by law to provide legal advocacy services to Oregonians with disabilities. DRO provides legal […]

Portland Police Bureau picks about 50 officers for specialized unit handling mental health crisis calls

April 9, 2013

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By Maxine Bernstein, The Oregonian, April 9, 2013 Portland police have selected about 50 officers who volunteered to be part of a new specialized unit to respond to mental health crisis calls. The new unit is one of the initiatives that federal justice investigators last year urged the bureau to adopt to improve police encounters […]