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In Rural Eastern Oregon, treatment exists on paper but the drive, the wait and the cost keep people from using it. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced more than $1 million in federal awards to help expand addiction and recovery services in the region.
This funding will flow through a nonprofit that’s already working in the area.
The money comes from the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Rural Communities Opioid Response Program.
It goes to the Oregon Washington Health Network. It’s a nonprofit based in Pendleton that works on health equity in Umatilla, Union and Morrow counties in Oregon and Walla Walla County in Washington.
Who Qualifies for These Free and Expanded Services
The awards target anyone in the service area living with substance use disorder or opioid use disorder with a rural access problem as the organizing principle. The network serves a wide geographic footprint, where the nearest opioid treatment program or licensed counselor can be more than an hour away.
“In rural communities, access isn’t just about whether a service exists, but whether it’s available when and where people actually need it,” said Jenna Stenrud, the network’s executive director.
“These awards give us the opportunity to strengthen the services already working in our communities, expand peer and recovery supports, and create new pathways for people to stay connected to recovery close to home.”
Senator Merkley tied the funding to the stories he’s heard across the state. “I have heard heart-wrenching stories from Oregonians who have lost loved ones after a prescription for an injury or treatment turned into an addiction,” he said.
What the Funding Will Support
According to the announcement, the awards will be used to improve access to treatment and recovery services for substance use disorder and opioid use disorder in the four-county region.
The emphasis on peer and recovery supports matters because peer specialists are people in recovery themselves who connect clients to services, check in between appointments and model that recovery holds in communities like theirs.
For rural residents peer support can substitute for infrastructure that bigger cities take for granted. When there is no daily meeting within driving distance, a peer recovery mentor who texts you on a hard Tuesday is the intervention that exists.
How to Access These Resources
If you live in Umatilla, Union or Morrow counties, or in Walla Walla County, contact the Oregon Washington Health Network in Pendleton to ask about current addiction and recovery services and what expands under the new awards.
The funding strengthens services that are free or low-cost at the point of care which matters for uninsured and underinsured residents.
Federal rural funding like this helps but it does not cover every need. Oregon residents should also check Medicaid coverage, which pays for substance use treatment including medication for opioid use disorder, and look into state-funded programs and sliding-scale facilities.
Rehabs.org has a listing of free and low-cost treatment options nationwide. Call
800-914-7089
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to find affordable care in Oregon.
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