Senate Bill 1557 (2024) Implementation

Ensuring Appropriate Services and Supports for Children and Youth under Age 21

Senate Bill 1557 (2024) seeks to ensure appropriate access to Home and Community-Based Services and supports for children and youth under age 21. Section 4 of the bill requires Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to investigate the supports provided to individuals under the age of 21 years to avoid placement in:

Hospitals,
Nursing homes,
Intermediate Care Facilities, or
Inpatient facilities providing psychiatric treatment.

To complete this work, OHA will work with:

Oregon Department of Human Services and
Youth and families with lived experience.

OHA must present the following reports to the Oregon Legislature:

A preliminary report due Oct. 1, 2024, and
A final report due March 1, 2025.

View the final report (English) View the executive summary (English)

Project Timeline

Engagement Opportunities

OHA will share dates, times and other information once confirmed.

Communications

Memo to behavioral health system partners (7/19/2024): This memo explains Section 5 of SB 1557.

Under Section 5 of the bill, organizations and licensed practitioners may not deny children or youth under age 21 access to mental health assessment, treatment or services based on their intellectual or developmental disability.

Reports

Preliminary report (Oct. 1, 2024):

Report and summary (English)
Report and summary (Spanish)

Youth and Family Engagement Report (December 2024)

Progress Reports: These reports outline OHA's progress in completing the investigation required by Section 4 of the bill.

To Learn More:

View past issues of Holding Hope, OHA's newsletter about children's behavioral health in Oregon.

Email kids.team@oha.oregon.gov