Mobile Crisis Responses Changes in Eugene Beginning April 7
April 7, 2025
EUGENE, OREGON – The City of Eugene and White Bird Clinic today announced upcoming changes to mobile crisis response services in Eugene. Effective April 7, White Bird’s CAHOOTS program services will no longer be available in the City of Eugene.
The City of Eugene and White Bird Clinic have been long-time partners through the CAHOOTS (Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets) program, providing mobile crisis response to the Eugene community. Currently, White Bird does not have the financial capacity to provide a full-service mobile crisis service in Eugene.
CAHOOTS has been an important resource in the Eugene community for many years and has served as a model nationwide, and the City of Eugene and White Bird remain open to mutual partnership in the future as the community’s needs and crisis response system continue to evolve.
Eugene community members in need of mobile crisis services can contact Mobile Crisis Services of Lane County (MCS-LC) by calling or texting 988, calling the 24/7 Lane County Crisis Line at 541-682-1001, or by calling 911 (operators will route calls to Mobile Crisis Services of Lane County as appropriate). MCS-LC will not, however, offer some of the essential public safety services formerly handled by CAHOOTS, such as welfare checks, transportation, and housing crises.
Service agencies with questions regarding changes to the crisis response system in Eugene can contact Deputy Chief Chris Heppel at firedept@ci.eugene.or.us or 541-682-7100. CAHOOTS services will continue to be available in Springfield from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. The White Bird Crisis Hotline is currently also operating at reduced hours, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
“White Bird remains committed to working with its partners and the community to explore all possible solutions to restore and strengthen CAHOOTS for the long term. We recognize the impact these changes have on both our staff and the people who rely on CAHOOTS in times of crisis. White Bird will continue advocating for investment in mental health services and crisis response to ensure that those in need receive the care and support they deserve. This is a time for our community to come together to find sustainable funding solutions that allow essential programs like CAHOOTS to thrive,” says White Bird’s Interim Executive Director Amée Markwardt.
As one of Lane County’s primary social service providers for more than 50 years, White Bird Clinic operates seven additional programs that deliver comprehensive integrated services, and these will continue operating Monday through Friday during their usual hours. These include:
White Bird Medical Clinic
White Bird Dental Clinic
Harm Reduction and Treatment Center
Chrysalis Behavioral Health Outpatient Services
White Bird Clinic Mental Health Counseling
Navigation Empowerment Services Team (NEST)
Helping Out Our Teens in Schools (HOOTS)
