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Stabilization and Crisis Unit (SACU)

The Stabilization and Crisis Unit (SACU) is a 24-hour crisis residential program operating under the guidance of ODDS. SACU services are accessed through regional or county Community Developmental Disabilities Programs.

Budget updates

About SACU 

We serve individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), often with co-occurring mental health issues, whose support needs exceed the supports offered or provided by community-based residential programs. Individuals may come from family homes, other community programs, legal institutions or hospital settings. These individuals often enter SACU in crisis, and over time, we work to stabilize and transition them to lower levels of care with the goal of reintegrating them into other community-based settings.

Map of SACU locations along I-5 in OregonSACU operates group homes along the I-5 corridor from Portland to Eugene, serving about 90 individuals. Each home offers varying levels of environmental supports and modifications. This allows SACU to provide services that range from intense crisis-level support needs to lower levels of care that more closely match what is available in other community-based placements. This variety offers flexibility to provide person-centered and individualized supports specific to each need.

SACU's Direct Support Crisis Staff are well-trained and have resources and tools to support people living at SACU. Those resources include specific plans on how to best support a person in crisis. Staff exhaust those options before calling for support from emergency services.


Supports offered

  • Health and medical supports
  • Nursing supports
  • Behavioral supports
  • Crisis outreach supports
  • Counseling supports
  • Psychological supports
  • Personal hygiene
  • Recreation and leisure supports
  • Community integration
  • Building social skills
  • Life skills training
  • Educational supports
  • Budgeting and financial supports

Supports not offered

  • Mandate that individuals live in our homes
  • Force medication compliance
  • Administer psychotropic PRN (as needed) medications
  • Use any pain compliance techniques
  • Use of any physical techniques outside of the Oregon Intervention System

Mandatory reporting

Program employees serving adults and/or children with developmental disabilities are mandatory reporters of abuse and neglect (ORS 43.765).


Now hiring

Are you interested in supporting Oregonians with intellectual and developmental disabilities? SACU is currently hiring. 

Learn more:
Oregon State Jobs website


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Union information


Contacts

SACU Administrative Offices
4760 Portland Rd N, Ste 102
Salem, OR 97302

Phone: 503-378-5952
Fax: 503-378-5917

  • Winston Brown, Interim Director
  • Bryan Wier, Deputy Director
  • Cindy Duran, Nurse Manager
  • Aaron Hall, Clinical Services Manager

Budget Updates

The Governor’s Recommended Budget (GRB) for the 2025-27 biennium proposes partial reductions to SACU’s operating budget. The Oregon Legislature will be in session from January to June 2025. During the session, the legislature will debate the GRB and make decisions about the proposed reductions. In June, the legislature will pass the state’s budget for the next two years. If the reductions to SACU are adopted, they would begin in July 2026.

ODHS leadership and the Governor see the budgeting process as an opportunity to refocus SACU back to its original purpose: a short-term crisis stabilization program that better supports individuals and the staff who do such important work every day.

We understand how distressing this news is to many in the SACU community. We will support people receiving services at SACU and staff throughout the process. Our mission continues to be the safety, health and well-being of all at SACU.

We will use this web page to keep the public and I/DD community members updated on the process. We will also post resources on this page.

Please read the December 5 ODDS director message for more information:

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

If you have questions, please send them to odds.questions@odhs.oregon.gov.