SALEM, Ore. – The Oregon State Senate Committee on Human Services is analyzing a bill that would expand mental health services to children and youth facing serious emotional disturbances.
The bill would declare an emergency for mental health in the state, guide the Oregon Health Authority to provide flexible and innovative home and community based services for children with serious emotional disturbances, direct the Department of Human Services to disregard parental income when determining a child’s eligibility for medical assistance if the child has a disability or illness that requires a hospital or nursing home level of care or if the child meets criteria for admission to a facility providing psychiatric services; as well as would allow schools to bill insurance for school-based health services.
Southern Oregon father and husband Andy Neal testified to the senate committee in support of the bill.
“Our family has faced relentless crises, aggressive outbursts, episodes of self harm and moments so frightening that we’ve wondered if we could safely keep our family together,” Neal said to the committee, “Yet finding help has often proved nearly impossible here in Oregon.”
Neal, who is a full time influencer on social media, has used his platform to advocate for mental health service expansion in the state and tell his families story.
Being a father to three kids adopted through the foster care system, two of whom face serious and complex mental health issues due to abuse faced in their biological families.
He explained that he and his wife have had to travel to Portland continuously, sometimes at frequencies of once a week, to get their children the care they need.
“We’ve spent thousands upon thousands of dollars and miles and struggles and tears and sweat trying to get our kids the mental health services they need.” Neal said.
Due to his career, Neal has the freedom to create content and earn income as he travels to and from his children’s appointments and healthcare providers.
Neal acknowledges that while he is able to make it work, most people in his shoes are unable to.
“ It’s nearly impossible.” He said, “ I had that privilege to be able to do that, but so many Southern Oregonians don’t.”
The largest reason for his advocacy is towards bringing comprehensive and complex mental healthcare services to rural communities such as Southern Oregon.
While his children are nearing adulthood, his hope in advocacy is that other families can get the resources they need while their children are still young.
“ I’m worried that this [bill] is too late for my kids, but we’ve been struggling with this for 12 years and I don’t want to see another family go through what my family’s had to go through.” Neal said.
Neal said the bill is just the “start line” for better access to mental health care in the state.
At the ‘end of the tunnel’ he wants to see Oregonian families “get the help they desperately need” where they live.
