Visiting information

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.

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.

Maintaining connections with family and friends can be an important part of a patient's recovery.

One way that family and friends can show their support is through visitation. We want your visitation experience to be a positive one. To help with this, please review the information on this page. You can find additional information in our Friends and Family Guidebook. Please call OSH Ombuds and Family Services if you have any questions or concerns about the visitation process.

Apply to visit

Except for legal guardians, family and friends wanting to visit a patient in person or virtually must first fill out and submit a visitor application*. This includes completing a criminal background check for adults. An application is required for each person wanting to visit. There is a separate application for minors younger than 18 years of age.

For a copy of a visitor application in Russian, Simplified Chinese, Somali or Vietnamese, please call OSH Ombuds and Family Services at 503-947-8109 or email your request to OSH.OmbudsandFamilyServices@odhsoha.oregon.gov

The application process includes reviews by the hospital’s Security Department for security concerns by and the patient’s treatment team for any therapeutic concerns. If approved by the treatment team, the patient will make the final decision to approve or deny the application.

Please allow five business days from the date your application is received by the hospital to complete the approval process. Notification may take longer if you request communication through mail. If you have questions about the status of your application, please contact OSH Ombuds and Family Services.

You will be notified by letter, email, or phone of your application’s approval or denial. Approved applicants will receive information about the visitation scheduling process and visitation rules.

If your application is denied you can immediately appeal the decision by contacting the OSH Ombuds office. Your appeal should include a written statement explaining why you believe the denial should be reversed. Depending on the nature of the denial, you may also re-apply after 30 days from the date of your denial.

Preparing for your visit

Read updated visitation guidelines here

Virtual Visitation (for all patients and their approved visitors)

OSH offers Microsoft Teams virtual visits for all patients who are interested. To participate in a virtual visit with a patient, you must be an approved visitor. Patients can request a virtual visit with staff on their unit. Staff will email the visitor a link to the virtual visitation “room” in advance of the visit. View a tip sheet for Microsoft Teams.

In Person Visitation (for patients residing on Bridges 1, 2, and 3 in Salem and Forest 1, 2, and 3 in Junction City)

Due to space and staffing limitations, in-person visits must be scheduled in advance. Approved visitors can schedule their visit by calling 503-945-2800 in Salem and 541-465-2554 in Junction City. Please have a few different dates and times in mind, in case your first choice is not available.

Scheduling

To schedule an in-person visit, you must be an approved visitor. You can find visitor applications here. To find out if you are an approved visitor, please call OSH reception in Salem at 503-945-2800 and at 541-465-2554 in Junction City.

Once approved, please schedul your visit at least 24 hours in advance by calling OSH reception between the hours of 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. in Salem and 8 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. in Junction city.

Reception staff will ask you for the following information:

The name of the person you want to visit
The names of all visitors planning to attend, including any minors
Your phone number, in case we need to reschedule visits for any reason
Your preferred visitation date and time, with alternatives if your preferred time is not available. See the visitation schedule for more information.
ADA accommodation requests and/or requests to bring essential medial items or devices (ex: asthma inhalers, walkers, canes) into the visitation area.

If you need to cancel or modify your visit, call the reception numbers provided above. Modifications are dependent upon staff and space availability.

Staff will notify you if a patient declines to visit.

Property, prohibited items and contraband

Property

OSH is required to keep patients safe. One way we are doing this is to ensure all patient property is approved for use in our secure psychiatric environment. As a result, visitors may not bring items to give to their loved ones during a visit or send packages through the mail. During a visit, visitors can buy items on a patient’s approved order form from the OSH Market.

Prohibited Items and Contraband

To provide a safe environment for patients, staff and visitors, certain items are not allowed in the hospital. These items are called either called "prohibited" or “Contraband."

"Contraband" means any item not permitted on OSH grounds, including, but not limited to:

Weapons, controlled substances, marijuana, and products containing marijuana, things used to take drugs, illegal substances, lighters, or things used to start fires, and explosives.
Anything that could harm patients or others.
Anything that violates the hospital's infection control requirements, such as pets and non-commercially packaged foods and beverages
Anything that's illegal

“Prohibited item" means an item that could possibly be used to hurt someone. Prohibited items include, but are not limited to things like:

Aerosol spray cans
Glass
Safety pins
Electrical cords, including chargers of any kind

Visitors who bring contraband or prohibited items into the hospital may be restricted from current and future visits.

Visitation schedule

Click here for the regular visitation schedule.

Click here for information about OSH observed holidays and holiday visitation schedules.

Child visits

Child visits are scheduled for specific times and locations (see Visitation schedule). Children younger than 18 are allowed to visit when:

The child's legal parent or guardian has completed a minor visitor application, which OSH has approved
The child is always accompanied by an approved adult visitor
Strollers, baby carriers, and car seats are prohibited from entering the secure perimeter.
During child visits, each patient is allowed two adult visitors with no limit on the number of children. Child visits are scheduled separately from adult visits.

Special arrangements

Requests for a special arrangement during a visit must be made in advance by contacting your loved one's unit or by contacting OSH Ombuds and Family Services. Approval depends on space and staff availability and the nature of the request.

Pictures

You can arrange to have photos taken with your loved one during a visit*. Due to privacy and confidentiality concerns, this does require approval prior to your visit. Please contact your loved one's unit or OSH Ombuds and Family Services to make this arrangement.

Health and wellness

To help support the health of all OSH patients, staff and visitors, we ask that you refrain from visiting if you are feeling unwell. We encourage all visitors to get an annual flu shot and to use OSH hand hygiene stations in the lobbies before and after visitation. Covering coughs and sneezes is encouraged, as well. If OSH requires visitors to wear a face mask, the hospital will provide them.

OSH may occasionally close a unit when there is a high level of any contagious illness. When this happens, the hospital will post information on this website and at the OSH Reception desk.

The day of your visit

Please plan to arrive 20-30 minutes before your scheduled visit. This will allow for time to check in and go through the security-screening process. Please consider leaving personal items either at home or in your locked vehicle.

Upon your arrival:

Check in with reception staff
Visitors will be asked to take off their belt and shoes, which will be searched and scanned through the X-ray machine.
Visitors will be asked to turn out their pockets.
Visitors will then be scanned by Security with a metal detector wand. If the metal detector wand alerts Security of the presence of metal, the visitor may be asked to comply with a pat down search. The visitor cannot be forced to be patted down, but refusal will result in the visit being cancelled.
Electronics and battery-powered devices are not permitted. These include, but not limited to, computers, tablets, cellular phones, and watches.
If Security has a reasonable concern that the visitor is harboring contraband, they may ask the visitor to comply with a pat down. The visitor cannot be forced to be patted down, but refusal will result in the visit being cancelled.
Staff will walk you to the visitation area.
Brief greetings, farewell embraces are permitted. Please refrain from other types of physical contact.

Visitor Guidelines/Rules

Visitor attire:

Please know that some patients may react to revealing clothing or images that promote the use of drugs, alcohol, or violence. For their well-being and safety, as well as for the security of staff and other visitors, we ask that you dress for the hospital environment. Clothing must include a dress or a shirt with either skirt, pants or shorts and shoes or sandals.

The following clothing items are not permitted in visitation:

Camouflage or military-type clothing, except as approved in advance by OSH.
Clothing with words or logos related to alcohol, tobacco products, drugs, vulgarity, violence, bigotry, sexual connotations, or those containing allusion to any of these items.
Clothing that may be considered provocative, including, but not limited to, excessively short skirts or shorts, see-through, skin-tight, or low-cut clothing and/or clothing that exposes undergarments, back, midriff, or thighs at any time (i.e., while sitting, standing, or bending over).
Neckties, scarfs, necklaces, or any other item that encircles the neck.
Large jackets and/or outer garments that protect against the rain or other inclement weather.
Hats or other head coverings except as approved in advance by OSH.
Shoes or accessories that might be a safety hazard, including anything that may be used as a weapon or ligature device.

Salem Campus Visitation Video

Junction City Visitation Video

Holiday visits

Oregon State Hospital observes several holidays throughout the year and follows holiday visitation hours (see visitation schedule) on those days. When a holiday falls on a Saturday, OSH will observe holiday hours on the Friday before the holiday. When a holiday falls on a Sunday, OSH will follow holiday visitation hours on the Monday after the holiday. Below is a list of the holidays that OSH currently observes.