West Salem Mental Health Clinic & Connection
The West Salem Mental Health Clinic is a component of the West Salem Medical Clinic, and as such, operates as a 501(c)3 partially federally-funded under Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act.
Grant funding received by the clinic enables it to provide mental health services to individuals and families with incomes under 200% of the Federal Poverty Level at an affordable cost. The clinic also sees patients who are typically “underinsured”, i.e., those with the Oregon Health Plan (operating as the Behavioral Care Network) and Medicare. The clinic also accepts commercially insured patients, however, nearly all of West Salem Mental Health Clinic’s patients are either uninsured or underinsured.
Most of the clinic’s patients experience difficulties in accessing services other than just financial ones. Some are severely mentally ill, some are homeless, others don't speak English, still others might be disabled, or simply lack transportation. The clinic’s mission is to assist in overcoming as many of these barriers to care as possible.
In its effort to “knock down barriers”,
the clinic employs one counselor fluent in American Sign Language
to serve the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community. Because
the Oregon School for the Deaf has long been located in Salem,
the city has a significant concentration of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing
residents, and Northwest Human Services has long served this population
through its Connection
Program designed to meet the unique needs of this community.
In calendar year 2009, West Salem Mental Health Clinic delivered services to 1,753 clients in Marion and Polk Counties. Although we are proud of the services we deliver, the uninsured alone in Marion and Polk Counties is estimated at well over 50,000 persons. (Oregon Population Survey, 2008).
If you are interested in helping Northwest
Human Services and West Salem Mental Health Clinic expand services
to additional needy individuals, please see our "How
You Can Help" page.
