Patient mail update
Patient safety is our priority. Mail screening is one way that we're working to maintain a safe and therapeutic environment for all patients.
As of Nov. 19 in Salem and Nov. 20 in Junction City, OSH is using a new mail screening technology that screens for several substances for more thorough searches and enhanced safety.
How does this impact my friend or family member? This new screening process enables patients to receive their original mail items unopened and more quickly if no contraband or prohibited items are found.
Can the screening technology "read" the mail I've sent my friend or family member? The screening process maintains patient privacy. Enclosed written content
cannot be read.
What happens to money I've sent my friend or family member in the mail? Any enclosed check or cash will be deposited into the patient's trust account.
Visitation resumes September 9 for patients on HLOC units
Visitation for patients on Hospital Level of Care (HLOC) units resumes on both campuses beginning Monday, Sept. 9. (As a reminder, the HLOC units are all other units besides the Bridge stack in Salem and the Forest stack in Junction City.)
Visits for patients on HLOC units will be non-contact only. In addition, these visits will initially only be for adult visitors. We are still working on how to safely resume visits with minors for patients on HLOC units.
Visitation appointments must be made at least 24 hours in advance.
Space is limited for non-contact visits, so Salem campus will have a limit of five visitors at one time, and Junction City will have a limit of four visitors at one time. This means that each patient may only have one adult visitor per visitation session, and spots will be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis.
In Salem, the visits will take place in the Harbors visiting area. In Junction City, the visits will occur in in the recently converted special dining room located directly adjacent to the cafe. On both campuses, a clear partition will separate visitors and patients, and they will communicate through a phone.
Non-contact and contact visitation will occur at the same time. However, they will be held in separate locations on both campuses to avoid interactions.
Visitation times and dates will remain the same for non-contact visits, with the same rules as before. For a refresher on visitation times, dates, or rules, please visit the Friends and Family Services webpage or contact Ombuds and Family Services.
Moving forward, our goal is to allow minor visitors in the non-contact areas. Additional planning and resource management will be needed to process and staff those visits. For example, minors are required to be accompanied by an adult at all times, and that would require additional space and staff.
Due to the current visitation limitations, we are postponing Friends and Family Day until April 2025. This was a difficult decision, but ultimately, the safety of our patients and staff continues to be our top priority.
Read a FAQ about non-contact HLOC visitation
Visitation resumed July 22 for patients on SRTF units
Visitation resumed July 22 for patients on Secure Residential Treatment Facility (SRTF) units.
Approved visitors may begin scheduling visits and are encouraged to schedule visits in advance.
At this time, patients on hospital level of care (HLOC) units may continue to sign up for video visits. Meanwhile, work continues on a plan to phase in the return of in-person visitation for other patients.
To ensure a safe environment for patients, staff and visitors, screening and visitation processes,
visitation schedule and
visitor guidelines have been updated.
Visitors are encouraged to review more information about the changes, the
new schedule and
guidelines prior to their visit.
Read a FAQ about SRTF visitation