Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Waitlist Open November 12 through November 19

The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher waitlist will be open from November 12th at 8:00 am through November 19th at 4:00 pm. White Bird is here to help people apply. Our sign up hours will be 10-4 throughout the entire time the list is open. Call our specialists Sarah at 541-246-1621 or Brenda at 541-246-2333.

Applicants can also apply for the waitlist online or at both of the Homes for Good offices.

The Lane County, Oregon Section 8 program is currently working with families through lottery number 3000 from the 2017 waitlist. They have contacted all 3,000 applicants who were selected in the 2017 Section 8 Waiting list lottery.

Section 8 Wait List Downloads and Resources

For applicants on any waiting list, you MUST maintain a current mailing address at all times as you will be contacted through the U.S. Mail when your name comes to the top of the waiting list. If your mail comes back as undeliverable, or if there is no response because you moved and mail was not forwarded, your file will be canceled and you will need to reapply when the waiting list reopens. Address changes should be made by calling 541-682-3755 or by emailing 

PenFed Credit Union Presents $4,000 Donation to White Bird Clinic

EUGENE, Ore., Oct. 3, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — PenFed Credit Union’s Eugene Service Center today announced it presented a $4,000 donation to White Bird Clinic, a nonprofit organization that provides affordable and friendly medical care to indigent, homeless, low-income, and otherwise marginalized populations, such as community members who are employed but uninsured or underinsured.

“White Bird Clinic’s reputation in the community is unparalleled, and they fill a critical gap with the medical and mental health services they provide to underserved populations in Lane County,” said PenFed’s Senior Vice President of Operations Chris Martin, who manages the Eugene Service Center. “On behalf of all PenFed employees, we want to thank all of them for all they do to support our community.”

White Bird Clinic has been giving back to the Eugene community since 1970 and offers a wide range of programs and services that are committed to providing client-centered and humanistic approaches to human services. Their highly qualified medical, mental health, and behavioral health professionals strive to meet each person where they are at and empower them to regain control of their own well-being.

For the check presentation, PenFed employees visited White Bird Clinic’s new dental office construction site located at 1415 Pearl Street in Eugene. During the visit, employees met with White Bird staff, including Crisis Office Manager Loretta McNally. The group touring the clinic learned that once completed, the office will have 12 dental chairs and allow increased dental care access for families.

“White Bird Clinic depends upon partners like PenFed Credit Union in order to respond to critical needs. PenFed’s generous support allows White Bird to do more for our community’s most vulnerable members,” said White Bird Clinic Executive Coordinator Chris Hecht.

The donation is part of PenFed’s commitment to giving over $100,000 to nonprofit organizations in the Eugene area this year, selecting local charities that align with the credit union’s core values of giving back and making a difference in the communities PenFed serves.

Since opening the service center in Eugene in 1996, PenFed has supported local veteran and community organizations and contributed over 2,000 volunteer hours and over $400,000 to charitable organizations throughout Lane County. PenFed has grown its Eugene-based workforce by 23% over the past decade and provides training at the entry level to increase skills for career growth.

About PenFed Credit Union
Established in 1935, Pentagon Federal Credit Union (PenFed) is America’s second-largest federal credit union, serving 1.8 million members worldwide with $24.5 billion in assets. PenFed Credit Union offers market-leading certificates, checking, credit cards, personal loans, mortgages, auto loans, student loans, and a wide range of other financial services with members’ interests always in mind. PenFed Credit Union is federally insured by the NCUA and is an Equal Housing Lender. 

SOURCE PenFed Credit Union

Related Links

http://www.PenFed.org

library

Volunteer Fair at the Library

We’re tabling at a volunteer fair with a focus on addressing homelessness on Thursday, November 14, 6:00pm to 7:30pm at the Eugene Public Library. Come meet with us and our local nonprofit and government partners, find out about our services, and learn about volunteer opportunities and other ways to support this crucial work.

Also Attending:

Catholic Community Services of Lane County, Inc. (CCS), Centro Latino Americano, City of Eugene Government / Community Court, Egan Warming Center, Eugene Mission, FOOD For Lane County, Hosea Youth Services, Lane County Health & Human Services, Looking Glass, ShelterCare, SquareOne Villages, St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County, White Bird Clinic, Willamette Family Inc., and Womenspace.

New Health Plan Choices for OHP in Lane County

Did you get a “Pick Your Plan” letter from OHP?

download flyer

This means you have choices to make by November 17 about your health plan for 2020. Health care benefits are staying the same but Lane County has new health plan choices. White Bird Clinic’s Sharing Healthcare Options Program (SHOP) program is here to help at the locations and times below and by appointment. Contact 541-342-1295 for more information.

EUGENE

Catholic Community Services, 1464 W 6th Ave, 3rd Wednesday of the month, 9:00am – 11:00am

Eugene Public Library, 100 W 10th Ave, Friday 11-2pm

Eugene Service Station, 450 Hwy 99 N, every other Thursday, 10-12pm

Eugene Mission, 1542 W 1st Ave, Mondays, 8-10am

White Bird Clinic, 341 E 12th Ave, 10-4 pm, Tuesday-Wednesday

SPRINGFIELD

Catholic Community Services, 1025 G St – Springfield, Last Wednesday of the month, 9:00am – 11:00am

Department Of Human Services, 101 30th St, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 1-3pm

Learn More

Hard Hat Tour at White Bird Dental Clinic

Dr. Tim Welch led a hard hat tour of White Bird Dental’s construction of 1415 Pearl Street.  The remodeled space will have 12 dental chairs and allow increased access to dental care for families.

We are currently fundraising to cover the cost of remodeling.

White Bird Turns Fifty & CAHOOTS is Thirty!

download press release

White Bird Clinic has been serving the community since 1969, and CAHOOTS began in July of 1989.

EUGENE, OREGON – A celebration for White Bird and CAHOOTS will take place at WildCraft Cider House at 232 Lincoln St. on Friday, 8/30. Music from The Dirty Dandelions, Muddy Souls, and Cedar Teeth will begin at 7pm. Minimum donation of $10 at the door.

In 1969, a small group of student activists and concerned practitioners founded White Bird Socio-Medical Aid Station to provide crisis services and free medical care to counter-culture youth in Eugene. Having grown continuously for fifty years, White Bird Clinic now has ten programs, 200 staff members, and more than 400 volunteers. In response to burgeoning community need, White Bird is expanding medical, dental, CAHOOTS, and crisis services.

Relocated Crisis Center

The new crisis center will house the 24/7 crisis line phone service as well as walk-in services in a trauma-informed space intended to minimize environmental triggers that may be re-traumatizing.

White Bird opened a new crisis center adjacent to the Whiteaker neighborhood in late July. The center houses the 24/7 crisis line as well as walk in services in a trauma informed space. White Bird now offers the Whitaker and West Eugene neighborhoods an opportunity to reach out without having to travel across town. We’re also building a new dental clinic that will increase capacity by 50 patients a week and will allow us to serve more elderly patients, children, and families. White Bird Medical is reducing barriers to accessing care in multiple ways: the clinic is now open forty hours a week, and we’re launching White Bird Street Medicine to bring care to a diverse range of sites, reaching individuals who are transportation insecure. A walk-in primary care service will open later this fall in the Medical Clinic.

CAHOOTS is celebrating 30 years of providing mobile crisis intervention as an alternative to traditional public safety response. CAHOOTS has attracted notice from national news media as well as from communities across the country. The Wall Street Journal and the CBS Evening News have showcased CAHOOTS as an innovative model for reducing the risk of violent civilian/police encounters. Communities from California to New York have requested strategic guidance and training in order to implement CAHOOTS’ model of mobile crisis intervention. CAHOOTS operates 24/7 in Eugene and Springfield and handled over 17% of the total Eugene public safety calls last year.

In order to care for our most vulnerable community members, White Bird is taking a risk by expanding many different programs at once, and we’re turning to the community for support and partnership. Please call 541.342.8255 or click here to donate to the project of your choice.

Download PDF of Poster

Now Accepting New Patients!

In response to burgeoning community need, White Bird Clinic’s Medical program is now accepting new Medicare Patients! The clinic will be open Monday – Friday from 9am to 5:30pm. We can not take walk ins at our temporary location (450 W 5th St), however, you can contact us at (541) 484-4800 to schedule an appointment or visit https://whitebirdclinic.org to learn more about our services.

Medical has appointments available for patients who want to establish care or patients with a single acute need. There are same day appointments when available. We do have male and female identified providers. We take Medicare, Medicaid and offer a sliding scale fee, based on income for those without insurance. We do not turn anyone away for inability to pay for a visit!

White Bird’s Crisis Center has moved to 990 W 7th Avenue in Eugene

White Bird Clinic’s Crisis program will offer expanded walk-in services as well as a telephone crisis line from our renovated facility at 990 W 7th Ave beginning August 1st. The new location improves access to White Bird services for community members in the Jefferson Westside and Whiteaker neighborhoods, as well as West Eugene.

The new crisis center will house the crisis line phone service, which White Bird has operated 24/7/365 for 50 years, as well as walk-in services in a trauma-informed space. The choice of location is intended to expand White Bird’s presence in the Whiteaker neighborhood as well as its reach into west Eugene and western Lane County.

This safe space is intended to minimize environmental triggers that could be re-traumatizing. In 2018, the crisis team had 13,387 client encounters, 2,743 of them walk-in and 10,644 through the telephone crisis line. There were 4,237 contacts with clients in crisis and 2,976 contacts with clients seeking mental health information and referral. We served 2,006 unhoused clients and diverted 636 emergency room visits.

The crisis center construction is the first of many projects that will increase White Bird’s ability to care for Eugene’s most vulnerable community members. The agency has purchased two new buildings, is developing new dental and medical clinics, and is expanding CAHOOTS coverage and hours.

White Bird is taking a risk and growing to better serve, and is turning to the community for help with the financial resources needed to care for our most vulnerable community members. Contributions support White Bird’s mission and services for those in need. All donations are tax deductible.

White Bird Clinic Celebrates Fifty Years with Major Expansion

In 1969, a group of student activists and concerned practitioners founded White Bird Clinic to provide crisis services and free medical care to counter-culture youth in Eugene. Having grown continuously for fifty years, White Bird now has ten programs, 200 staff members, and more than 400 volunteers.

To celebrate our fiftieth, we’re growing our programs, demonstrating our commitment to serving low income, under-resourced community members. In response to burgeoning community need, White Bird is expanding medical, dental, crisis, and CAHOOTS services.

White Bird has a fifty-year track record of identifying, assessing, and responding to community need by leveraging our existing resources. We respond rapidly and effectively by building on existing, successful programs. Our expansion consists of:

  1. Opening a new medical walk-in clinic for individuals who are low-income and/or homeless and uninsured. The clinic, below the existing primary care clinic, will provide an alternative for patients experiencing an acute issue who lack health insurance, diverting a great number of emergency room visits.
  2. Enlarging the dental program to increase its capacity to serve patients by nearly 75%. White Bird is renovating the building at 1415 Pearl St. into a clinic that will also provide denture care for elderly patients and serve more children and families.
  3. Increasing access to crisis services by moving the crisis program to 990 W 7th Ave., adjacent to the Whitaker neighborhood. The new crisis center will house the 24/7 crisis line phone service as well as walk-in services in a trauma-informed space intended to minimize environmental triggers that may be re-traumatizing.
  4. Expanding the hours and geographic coverage of CAHOOTS mobile crisis services, which responded to over 21,000 calls in 2018, saving an estimated $6M in emergency medical services costs alone.

In order to serve more folks in need, White Bird is taking a risk by growing many different programs at once, and we’re turning to the community for support and partnership. Please call 541.342.8255 or donate to support the project of your choice.

Donate Now

Cleveland Chicken

The Cleveland Chicken team, a 49 year old WBC fundraiser, will be BBQing chicken, as well as offering, chicken sausages, corn on the cob, lemonade and watermelon all three days of the County Fair, right outside W C Fields stage, do come.

White Bird at Fair

White Bird’s RockMed operates two first aid stations, one near Main Stage (Big Bird) and one in Xavanadu (Little Wing). White Bird is staffed 24 hours a day until Monday at 3pm, including several doctors around the clock, and nurses, EMTs, paramedics, and teams roving throughout the site that can be dispatched to incidents by radio. White Bird has been on site at the Oregon Country Fair for 50 years.

In an emergency go to the nearest Information Booth. If you cannot find one, ask at the nearest craft or food booth for directions. Each Information Booth can quickly contact emergency services.

PHOTO Credit Brian Bull / KLCC

Related

A Talk With Wren Arrington On White Bird Clinic’s OCF Services
  JUL 12, 2018

White Bird Clinic And Oregon Country Fair Nearing Half-Century Mark
By BRIAN BULL • JUL 12, 2018

Help us open a new medical walk-in clinic!

To celebrate our fiftieth, we’re growing our programs, demonstrating our commitment to serving low income, under-resourced community members. In response to burgeoning community need, White Bird is opening a new medical walk-in clinic for individuals who are low-income and/or homeless and uninsured. The clinic, below the existing primary care clinic, will provide an alternative for patients experiencing an acute issue who lack health insurance, diverting a great number of emergency room visits.

Garth Brooks Rock Medicine Fundraiser

White Bird Clinic’s event medicine program will provide medical and crisis intervention services for the Garth Brooks concert at Autzen

StadiumWhite Bird Clinic’s Event Medicine Program, Rock Medicine, will be providing Medical and Crisis Intervention services for the Garth Brooks Stadium Tour when he performs at Autzen Stadium in Eugene on Saturday, June 29th. We will bring 60 professional volunteers providing our unique model of Compassionate Care to a record-breaking sold-out crowd of 64,000 happy patrons.

Rock Medicine is a fundraising effort for White Bird Clinic so the services we provide at the event are provided by contract with the promoter and the funds we earn help support the amazing services White Bird provides all year long in Eugene & Springfield.

It’s a true labor of love and the work provides a great spirit of camaraderie among our volunteers!

If you have a background in Mental Health, Social Service, or Medical field and think you might like to volunteer with Rock Medicine at our next event, write to rockmed@whitebirdclinic.org for more information.

Support Us

This summer, Rock Medicine is launching a campaign to raise money for White Bird to open a new walk-in medical clinic for individuals who are low-income and/or homeless and uninsured. The clinic, below the existing primary care clinic, will provide an alternative for patients experiencing an acute issue who lack health insurance, diverting a great number of emergency room visits. Help us by making a donation or joining our fundraising team – click the image below for details!

 

tim in california

Mental Health First Responders Visit Oakland

White Bird Clinic’s CAHOOTS program is meeting with stakeholders to share an innovative model for mobile crisis intervention that would otherwise be handled by public safety or emergency medical response.

OAKLAND, CA – White Bird Clinic of Eugene, OR has developed an innovative public/private partnership delivering crisis and community health first response effectively and at significant cost savings. For thirty years, CAHOOTS (Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets) has been providing mobile crisis intervention 24/7, dispatched through the EMS non-emergency system. This week, members of CAHOOTS are in Oakland to meet with the Mayor, the Coalition for Police Accountability, and other community stakeholders to discuss implementing the innovative model locally.

Each CAHOOTS team consists of a medic (a nurse or an EMT) with a crisis worker who has substantial training and experience in the mental health field. The team provides behavioral health first response/responders, immediate stabilization in case of urgent medical need or psychological crisis, assessment, information, referral, advocacy and, when warranted, transportation to the next step in treatment.

White Bird Clinic started CAHOOTS in 1989 in partnership with the Eugene Police Department as a community policing initiative. CAHOOTS offers compassionate, effective, timely care while diverting a considerable portion of the public safety workload, freeing the police and fire departments to respond to the highest priority calls. CAHOOTS handles 17% of the Eugene Police Department’s non-emergency calls. In 2017, police officers nationally spent 21% of their time responding to or transporting people with mental illness.

CAHOOTS focuses exclusively on meeting the medical and mental health needs of the community, making it both more economical and more effective than traditional models involving agencies with a larger scope of responsibility. Police officers and firefighters receive comprehensive training in a broad set of skills, making their deployment to non-emergent situations unnecessarily costly. The CAHOOTS model also ensures that health and behavior health care are integrated from the onset of intervention and treatment, adding to the efficacy and economy of the model.

White Bird’s CAHOOTS program has attracted notice, from national news media as well as from communities across the country. The Wall Street Journal’s November 24th article When Mental- Health Experts, Not Police, Are the First Responders showcased CAHOOTS as an innovative model for reducing the risk of violent civilian/police encounters. Communities from California to New York have asked for strategic guidance and training so they can replicate CAHOOTS’ success.

Currently, CAHOOTS is working with the following communities:

  • Olympia, WA
  • Portland, OR
  • Denver, CO
  • New York, NY
  • Indianapolis, IN
  • Roseburg, OR


In 1969, a group of student activists and concerned practitioners came together to provide crisis services and free medical care for counter-culture youth in Eugene, OR. Having grown continuously since then, today White Bird Clinic has 10 programs, 220 staff members, and more than 400 volunteers each year. White Bird Clinic is a collective environment organized to empower people to gain control of their social, emotional, and physical well-being through direct service, education, and community.

The mission of the Coalition for Police Accountability is to advocate for accountability of the Oakland Police Department to the community so that the Oakland Police Department operates with equitable, just, constitutional, transparent policies and practices that reflect the values and engender the trust of the community.

Doc Ann’s Essay: White Bird at Fair ?

by Rock Medicine’s Medical Director, Dr Ann Cooley

“Can I give you a hug?”  This makes me pause for a moment.  You see I’m not really used to this kind of response from my patients.  As a full-time Emergency Medicine Physician, most of my patients are usually pretty scared and upset from waiting by the time they meet me, and understandably they don’t really feel like hugging.  But that’s not the case here in this dirt-floored clinic in the middle of the Oregon Country Fair.  Here I just put my medical skills to the test removing a large splinter from the hand of a young woman wearing a unicorn leotard, rainbow tutu, lime green fishnets, and glitter.  She pays me with a hug and a thank you, and it feels just as good as actually saving a life.

Rock Medicine at OCFSeveral years ago, I took over as the Medical Director for White Bird’s Rock Medicine program.  We are a fundraising arm for the clinic, and the work we do helps support many of the amazing programs White Bird provides in Eugene and Springfield.  We are a small army of volunteers who attend concerts and festivals throughout the year to help people have a safer party.  Unlike most event medicine programs, we are more than a couple of medics waiting at the back of the crowd.  We are a veritable army of crisis and medical professionals who volunteer our time to care for folks who sustain everything from minor bumps and bruises to dehydration to severe trauma.

My second patient of the day is having shortness of breath.  His long grey hair and beard are equal length, and he’s wearing an OCF staff shirt from when I was in high school.  I give him a breathing treatment, and we laugh about the fact that he does this every year even though he knows the dust will be terrible.  “Some old dogs have no interest in new tricks,” he tells me.  I encourage him to come back at any time.  The day progresses like this with a constant stream of bumps, bruises, and reminders to all who walk by to drink plenty of water and wear sunscreen.  The usual reply to this is, “We love you White Bird!” and while I’m hot and tired my heart is full.

Rock Medicine Booth at OCFMy final patient of the night is a young man.  I don’t know his name because every time we ask, he begins to laugh hysterically and then scream.  It appears he took his party a little too far tonight, and now comes the long journey back down to earth.  In my normal job, I wouldn’t have much choice but to give him medications to calm him down, and I have that option here too, but here at Oregon Country Fair on either side of him sits a crisis worker.  They have just started to sing to him, and they are reassuring him that he’s safe.  He smiles, lays down, and begins a long conversation about interdimensional time travel, and I know he’s going to be just fine.

As we approach the 50th year of the Oregon Country Fair, I am once again preparing to move my medical practice out of the state-of-the-art hospital and into a makeshift exam room.  I’ll be surrounded by hundreds of volunteers who set aside their July weekend every year to come take care of everyone who walks in.  All of our hard work will help raise money to help White Bird continue its amazing programs throughout the rest of the year, and while I love the ability to help with that, mostly I’m looking forward to getting paid in hugs.

Related Story

RockMed All Night Long

White Bird Building New Dental Clinic

Rendering courtesy of GMA Architects, an architecture and design firm in Eugene, Oregon

Download Press Release (PDF)

The new clinic will increase the dental program’s capacity by seventy-five percent.

EUGENE, OREGON – White Bird is constructing an expanded dental clinic at 1415 Pearl St. that will offer urgent and preventative oral health care. The clinic is expected to open in October.

Too many unhoused and low-income community members need dental care that they cannot access. In response, White Bird has purchased the building at 1415 Pearl St. and is developing a dental clinic that increases capacity by 50 patients a week. The new facility will also allow White Bird to serve more elderly patients, children, and families.

Poor oral health presents significant challenges for many unhoused community members. According to Trillium Community Health Plan, many of their patients don’t ever see a dentist. The last two Lane County Community Health Improvement Plans identified access to affordable dental care as a major priority.

The dental clinic was founded in 1995 and has grown continuously since then. The twenty three year old facility is the limiting factor in White Bird’s ability to meet the increased community need for oral health care.

White Bird Clinic has a history of identifying, assessing, and responding to community need by leveraging existing resources. The dental expansion project is a central component of White Bird’s mission of service to low income, under-served community members. Once the new dental clinic is completed, the current clinic facility will be renovated to add a walk-in clinic to White Bird Medical. The new service will provide an alternative to hospital emergency room visits for low-income patients suffering an acute issue, offering compassionate and expert care and substantial cost savings for the community.

In addition to the dental clinic and walk-in medical clinic, White Bird is developing a new crisis center adjacent to the Whiteaker neighborhood as well as expanding CAHOOTS hours and geographic coverage. This is the first time in White Bird’s fifty year history that it has conducted two construction projects and multiple program expansions simultaneously, an indicator of the volume of unmet community need that the agency addresses.

In order to care for our most vulnerable community members, White Bird is taking a risk by growing many different programs at once, and we’re turning to the community for support and partnership. Please call 541.342.8255 or click here to donate to the project of your choice.


In 1969, a group of student activists and concerned practitioners came together to provide crisis services and free medical care for counter-culture youth in Eugene. Having grown continuously since then, today White Bird Clinic has 200 staff members and more than 400 volunteers each year.

White Bird Breaks Ground on New Crisis Center

White Bird is developing an expanded Crisis facility adjacent to Eugene’s Whiteaker Neighborhood

Download Press Release (PDF)

EUGENE, OREGON – White Bird Clinic’s Crisis program will offer expanded walk-in services as well as a telephone crisis line from a renovated facility at 990 W 7th Ave. Construction started April 29th and is expected to be completed in early July. The new location improves access to White Bird services for community members in the Whiteaker and West Eugene.

The new crisis center will house the crisis line phone service, which White Bird has operated 24/7/365 for 50 years, as well as walk-in services in a trauma-informed space. The choice of location is intended to expand White Bird’s presence in the Whiteaker neighborhood as well as its reach into west Eugene and western Lane County.

This safe space is intended to minimize environmental triggers that could be re-traumatizing. In 2018, the crisis team had 13,387 client encounters, 2,743 of them walk-in and 10,644 through the telephone crisis line. There were 4,237 contacts with clients in crisis and 2,976 contacts with clients seeking mental health information and referral. We served 2,006 unhoused clients and diverted 636 emergency room visits.

The crisis center construction is the first of many projects that will increase White Bird’s ability to care for Eugene’s most vulnerable community members. The agency has purchased two new buildings, is developing new dental and medical clinics, and is expanding CAHOOTS coverage and hours.

White Bird is taking a risk and growing to better serve, and is turning to the community for help with the financial resources needed to care for our most vulnerable community members. Contributions support White Bird’s mission and services for those in need. All donations are tax deductible.

In the Media

CAHOOTS Model Featured in Street Roots Newspaper article “Rethinking our first response”

Kaia Sands, Executive Director of Street Roots, a Portland newspaper that creates income opportunities for people experiencing homelessness and poverty through media that is a catalyst for individual and social change, visited White Bird Clinic’s mobile crisis support program, CAHOOTS (Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets) this month.

In 2019, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, Police Chief Danielle Outlaw and Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty’s staff have all come to Eugene to learn about the CAHOOTS model response to non-criminal matters resulting from homelessness. Kaia joined our crisis worker and medic team for a shift and shared her story, available in PDF for download here with permission.

Street Roots visit to CAHOOTS helped to inform their plan for a Portland Street Response team. This would be a non-law enforcement system of six well-marked mobile response vans teamed with a specially-trained firefighter-EMT and peer support specialist dispatched through both 911 and nonemergency channels. Street Roots explores how these issues are being responded to in Portland and Eugene and how we can build a better system. Read more (PDF)…

End-of-Life Counseling

White Bird Clinic is now offering in-home, end-of-life counseling services provided by licensed/supervised mental health counselors. Compassionate and client-centered, this service seeks to provide support for psychosocial, emotional, and spiritual issues related to death and dying. We serve adults on Oregon Health Plan (Medicaid) as well as homeless individuals or those at risk of becoming homeless. Hours are by appointment only.

Please call 541-342-8255 for more information, email Amy May, CSWA, QMHP at amymay@whitebirdclinic.org or complete our online screening form now.

Mental Health First Aid USA for Older Adults: April 19 in Florence, OR

Mental Health First Aid USA for Older Adults is an 8 hour public education program which introduces participants to the unique risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems in adults over the age of 65, builds understanding of the importance of early intervention, and teaches individuals how to help an older adult in crisis or experiencing a mental health challenge. Mental Health First Aid uses role-playing and simulations to demonstrate how to assess a mental health crisis; select interventions and provide initial help; and connect older adults to professional, peer, social, and self-help care.

The training will be held at the Siuslaw Fire & Rescue 2625 Highway 101, Florence, OR 97439 from 8:30 am-5:30pm and will have light breakfast & lunch provided. The fee for the course is $49.00 per participant.

Register Online Today!

snowstorm

❄️ Ice/Snow Emergency Update

A brief situation report on the Ice/Snow Emergency as of March 1, 2019 at 7:00am.

INFORMATION

Lane County has opened a Non-Emergency Call Center for inquiries related to winter weather at 541-682-3977. The call center will run from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

If you know of a vulnerable individual, who is in need of assistance (homebound, medically fragile) you can contact the Lane County Public Inquiry Center at 541-682-3799 to let them know. Any emergency or threat to life should go directly to 911.

DAY ACCESS

White Bird Clinic’s Front Rooms day access program (341 E 12th Ave) is open until 10pm tonight and St. Vincent DePaul’s Lindholm Center (456 Highway 99) is open today until 5pm. The following community centers are open from 9am to 5pm.

  • Amazon Center 2700 Hilyard St. Eugene, OR 97405
  • Campbell Community Center, 155 High St. Eugene, OR 97401
  • Echo Hollow Pool, 1655 Echo Hollow Rd. **free showers
  • Hilyard Community Center, 2580 Hilyard Street
  • Petersen Barn, 870 Bertzen Rd. Eugene, OR 97401
  • Sheldon Community Center, 2445 Willakenzie Rd.
  • Sheldon Pool, 2443 Willakenzie Rd. **free showers
  • Downtown Eugene Public Library, 100 W. 10th Ave

CRISIS SERVICES

CAHOOTS mobile crisis is available in Eugene through the police-fire-ambulance communications center, 541-682-5111 and within the Springfield urban growth boundary through the non-emergency number, 541-726-3714. Crisis walk-in and phone support is available at 341 E 12th Ave.

PROGRAMS

DentalMedical, Homeless, and SHOP programs are open. Dental is holding an Urgent Care Clinic at 8:00AM. Chrysalis is open by appointment and for groups as scheduled. Call 541-342-8255 to confirm Mental Health Counseling appointments in advance.

HAZARDS

Public Works crews continue to clear roads and downed trees. Read about response efforts…

SHELTER

The Eugene Mission will be open tonight. The Egan Warming Centers will ACTIVATE today, Friday (03/01). They are on STANDBY for Saturday (03/02) and Sunday (03/03)!

FOOD

Meals on Wheels in Eugene will be delivering frozen meals today. Routes will be modified to prioritize delivery to the most vulnerable recipients. FFLC will be open but the Dining Room will be closed and will hopefully re-open on Monday.

TRANSPORTATION

LTD has returned all routes to regular weekday schedule. Most routes are no longer on snow detour. EmX buses are still dealing with some inaccessible platforms. Check with the EmX service alert for the current status of which EmX stations are being served. Before leaving in the home or work, visit LTD.org/service-alerts to see if your route is operating or on detour. For snow and ice route maps visit LTD.org/snow.

BASIC NEEDS

White Bird Clinic has identified a critical need for adult sized BOOTS in light of the inclement weather conditions that are likely to continue over the next week. If you are able, please take your donations of adult boots (used or new) to White Bird Clinic at 341 E 12th Avenue between 8am and 10pm. We will get them to people with the greatest needs.

White Bird Clinic Expanding Dental & Medical Services

White Bird Executive Coordinator Miles Mabray (front) stands with Fund Developer, Chris Hecht, in front of the dental and medical clinic currently serving 2,000 low-income patients annually.
CREDIT TIFFANY ECKERT, KLCC

download press release

EUGENE, OREGON – White Bird Clinic will purchase the building at 1415 Pearl St. and redevelop it into a dental clinic to serve burgeoning community need. The existing dental facilities at 1400 Mill St will be renovated to add urgent care services to White Bird’s medical clinic.

The new building will allow White Bird dental to serve 50 additional patients each week and increase capacity to host student internships. The clinic will also provide denture care for elderly patients and allow White Bird to serve more children and families. White Bird medical’s new urgent care services will provide an alternative to hospital emergency room visits for patients experiencing an acute issue who lack health insurance.

“With the increase in community need for affordable urgent and preventative dental care, we’ve been on the lookout for a larger facility to better serve clients. When this opportunity came up, we knew we had to move on it immediately,” White Bird Dental Program Coordinator Kim Freuen said.

Founded in 1995, the dental clinic provides urgent care as well as preventative care. The program has continuously grown and is now constrained by its 23 year-old facility, and is not operating at optimal capacity due to a shortage of space. This year to date, the dental clinic has provided 4,848 visits for 1,992 patients:

  • 829 for emergency care;
  • 1,322 for hygiene/preventative care; and
  • 2,697 for restorative care.

According to Trillium Community Health Plan, many of their patients don’t ever see a dentist. The last two Community Health Improvement Plans for Lane County identified affordable dental care as a major issue. Poor oral health presents significant challenges for many unhoused community members; White Bird recognizes that need and meets it.

White Bird Medical Clinic provides affordable and friendly medical care to indigent, homeless, low-income, and otherwise marginalized populations, such as community members who are employed but uninsured or underinsured. In addition to staff physicians, there is a behavioral health consultant and a psychiatric prescriber who collaborate with the physicians to offer integrated, holistic care. This year to date, the medical clinic has provided 2,226 visits for 950 patients. 1,020 of those visits were with unhoused patients.

Providing primary care to patients is crucially important, as White Bird’s patients often suffer from multiple complex medical issues that are compounded by socioeconomic barriers to health care and lifestyle changes. These community members face significant barriers as well as discrimination when attempting to access health care institutions in the community, and having White Bird primary care providers advocate for them and coordinate their care is vital.

The new medical urgent care service will divert a great number of emergency room visits, which are very costly for all stakeholders. White Bird Clinic is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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In the News

Community Health Survey

Live Healthy Lane is conducting a survey to inform the next Community Health Improvement Plan. The survey is open through February 28, 2019.

About the Community Health Improvement Plan
In 2017, out of 36 counties in Oregon, Lane County ranks 13th for health outcomes (length of life and quality of life) and 12th for health factors (health behaviors, clinical care, social & economic factors, and physical environment). Based on the findings from the Community Health Needs Assessment, the Lane County Regional Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) outlines how we’ll work together to make improve behavioral, physical, and oral health, including overall well-being. Click here to read the Community Health Improvement Plan report and other documents.

 

Community Partners Help Everybody to Stay Warm

We are so thankful for our community partners, who have allowed us to reach far more donors for our annual Stay Warm Drive than we ever thought possible. We especially appreciate the Eugene Weekly for running our Stay Warm Drive ad every week since early December (way beyond what our budget could afford) and our social media followers, who have shared our message with their communities, reaching thousands online.

As a result, we were recently gifted a donation of winter coats, pants, and boots worth $50,000 from a large Northwest clothing manufacturer. In addition to sharing the wealth with our clients, we are also working with Egan Warming Center, St. Vincent de Paul, First Place and Women’s Space to make sure it reaches those with the greatest need.

Stephanie Rothman from KVAL stopped by to learn more last week. Read article…

Discounted Bike Rental for Oregon Trail Card Holders

Have you seen the PeaceHealth bikes around town? You can check them out for one-way trips across the city. Oregon Trail Card recipients qualify for a $20 a year reduced membership plan. The annual membership includes 60 minutes of ride time per day. Use your hour however you like, for a single trip or multiple short trips.

To signup to ride, visit PeaceHealth Rides Reduced Fare Plan. This is an income verified program by entering your 16 digit Oregon Trail SNAP card number. If you need more help signing up, call 541-214-2212 or email support@peacehealthrides.com.

Click here to Sign Up

More Info:

Accessibility:

Year-round adaptive bike equipment is available for rent at Adaptive Recreation Services at Hilyard Community Center and can be requested here.

White Bird Providing Medical & Crisis Response to Camp 99

EUGENE, OREGON – In response to the urgent needs of community members at Camp 99, White Bird Clinic has mobilized a rapid response team and set up a temporary clinic at the Lindholm Center across Hwy 99 from the camp. The interdisciplinary team provides integrated, wrap-around services aligned with White Bird‘s comprehensive care model.

The temporary clinic offers medical services 16 hours per week. Crisis response workers and behavioral health counselors including drug and alcohol counselors are on site 8 hours each week. Outreach and enrollment specialists from White Bird’s Homeless program are on site. Services are provided daily except Sunday, for a total of 24 hours each week through January 7th.

Saint Vincent De Paul is providing space in its Lindholm Community Service Center for the temporary clinic. Their participation has allowed White Bird to get services up and running in a matter of days. Individuals utilizing SVDP’s Service Station are welcome at the clinic. The temporary clinic is funded by Lane County.

“It’s great to see such a speedy response by the county,” said White Bird Clinic Co-Coordinator Miles Mabray. “Their staff recognized the emergent nature of the situation and committed to immediate action. We’re partnering to meet this need within days.”

Camp 99 is a sanctioned camp created by Lane County on October 27 for people who were camping at the butterfly lot in downtown Eugene. The camp, located on a graveled lot in an industrial area on Highway 99, is intended to offer a safer, more sanitary place to sleep. On or around January 7th, Camp 99 is scheduled to be cleared. Campers on site will be given the option to transfer to other shelter options as they are available.

Individuals and businesses wishing to support the project can help in many ways. Financial donations, cold weather gear, food, and toiletries are welcome. For more information on how to help, please email camp99@whitebirdclinic.org, or call 541-342-8255.

See Also

White Bird doctors kick off new program connected to Camp 99
by Stephanie Rothman and NBC16.com Staff

White Bird Will Provide Clinic At Camp 99 In Eugene
By RACHAEL MCDONALD • KLCC

Eugene’s White Bird Clinic now offering medical services at Highway 99 homeless camp
by Alisha Roemeling, Register Guard