Patrons Campaign
Giving
A special community cause
Each year, the Ashland Community Health Foundation Patrons Campaign focuses on the most pressing health care needs of our community.
This year, our Patrons Campaign is prioritizing workforce training and development to address the need for behavioral health providers in our area.
Recognizing the need for qualified providers
In our community, a persistent workforce shortage exists for behavioral health providers. There are simply not enough providers available to meet the growing demand of those in need, for example a teenager struggling in school, a senior experiencing loneliness, or perhaps a neighbor that you know.
The lack of qualified providers is putting an increased strain on social service agencies, schools, and hospitals. This is supported by a report from Mental Health America, which ranks Oregon 47th in the nation for access to behavioral health care.
“Oregon has long struggled to ensure adequate access to care for our communities and currently ranks 47th in the nation in terms of access to mental health care. Because mental health is critical for good health overall, we must focus on increasing access to care by increasing resources for new and incoming behavioral health providers.”
– Dr. Leona O’Keefe, Jackson Care Connect Medical Director
Making a difference
Thanks to seed money received last year, the Ashland Community Health Foundation has established a workforce training fund to help address the need for behavioral health providers in our area.
Your gift will ensure that we can do all we can to build a pipeline for behavioral health workers, now and into the future in the following ways:
- Provide scholarships to local students enrolled in Clinical Mental Health Counseling programs to reduce financial barriers, and inspire others who may be considering a career in behavioral health
- Support paid internships for graduate students so they can earn a living wage while they gain critical experience from local behavioral health providers
- Offer continuing education to people with lived experience who are working as Peer Support Specialists so they can advance their career and serve more complex behavioral health cases
Be a champion for increased access to behavioral health services
Ashland Community Health Foundation has helped address critical health care needs inside and outside of hospital walls for so many years, and this is one of our communities’ most critical health care needs.
Now is a critical time to invest and help increase access to behavioral health services in our community.
Donate to the Patrons Campaign
We are excited to continue our tradition of supporting the health care needs of our community. Please join us this year so that we can make a lasting impact…together.
