ROCKit grant program helps community identify & implement coordinated actions
Pendleton, Oregon: October 18, 2021: Umatilla County, Oregon has taken a series of dedicated actions that both the county government and local experts believe will increase access to critical mental health care and services for individuals and their families in the county.
“Mental health was a concern for Umatilla County before COVID, exacerbated during COVID, and will remain so post-COVID,” said George Murdock, County Commissioner and Board Chair of Umatilla County.
“The ROCKit program helped us launch this mental health initiative. Working with a dynamic group of community leaders and changemakers, we were able to both identify a range of available assets and resources, and commit to action. The time for change in our community is right now.”
ROCKit stands for Resource Organizer for Communities Kit (ROCKit) and involves a series of facilitated convenings where diverse participants from the community create an asset map, capacity inventory, and action commitments. As a result of working on mental health access, Umatilla County has:
Selected a new provider, Community Counseling Solutions, to deliver and oversee more integrated mental health and substance abuse programs in the county
Implemented strategies to address the intersection between law enforcement and mental health, including plans to reduce the role of law enforcement in addressing mental health crisis situations
Assured that equity is an integral part of the discussion surrounding mental health and substance abuse by identifying and using a broad array of resources representing diverse populations to communicate and gather feedback, such as the Pendleton Community Action Coalition (Facebook group) and Radio La Ley
Created a comprehensive inventory of community entities that can or do play a role in addressing mental health concerns
Applied for funding from the Oregon Health Authority to assist with the planning and development of behavioral housing, a need identified during the ROCKit process
Additional potential actions were also identified that would further improve mental health services and accessibility within Umatilla County. Those included:
Creating a cadre of peer teen mentors using an existing texting service
Developing new tools for mental health workers designed to help better deescalate mental health crises
Exploring the creation of an app that will provide comprehensive information about mental health services and supports in the county
Meeting with school administrators to explore the role athletic coaches can play in preventing and supporting teens in crisis
Exploring avenues for the creation of a comprehensive one-stop shop for mental health service delivery
“I could not be prouder of this group,” said John Shafer, County Commissioner, Umatilla County. “From the first time we met, their dedication and the innovative ideas they brought to the table have been tremendous."
"I am confident that this initiative will continue to turbocharge our ability as a county to meet the mental health needs of our communities.”
The meeting series was part of a grant-funded pilot program called Community ROCKit, a 90-day roadmap for asset mapping and community engagement designed to help communities rebuild from the pandemic. Umatilla County was selected as the first location in the country to implement Community ROCKit.
“ROCKit was inspired by the belief that communities have a deep well of ingenuity and innovation that will help address the impacts of COVID-19,” said Christine Bechtel, co-founder of X4 Health – the organization that designed and coordinates the program.
“Umatilla County is a shining example: They discovered and catalogued a surprising trove of existing resources, and found ways to configure and combine those resources to create vibrant solutions to increase mental health access for people in crisis.”
Funded by the Morris-Singer Foundation, Community ROCKit is available at no cost to selected communities. Additional free resources to help communities take the guesswork out of recovery planning are available at: www.communityrockit.org
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About Participants
Participants were selected based on representation of diverse perspectives, non-traditional partnerships, and willingness to take action toward improving mental health services and support within Umatilla County.
Participant list:
Anna Browne, OSU Extension Umatilla County
Erin Carpenter, Eastern Oregon Workforce
Aaron Duff, Milton - Freewater United School District
Rosanne Ernst, CAPECO
Travis Eynon, Umatilla County/Hermiston Police Department
Kenny Franks, Umatilla Corrections Division
Jenni Galloway, Umatilla County CARE Program
Jose Garcia, New Horizon Program
Kenzie Hansell, Weston-McEwen High School
Amber Henderson, Lifeways
Annie Kimbrel, CAPECO
Thad Labhart, Community Counseling Solutions
Roberta Lavadour, Pendleton Center for the Arts
Jim Littlefield, Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office
Cathy Lloyd, Stepping Stones
Ami Muilenburg, Milton - Freewater United School District
George Murdock, Umatilla County/Commissioner
Dale Primmer, Umatilla County/Community Corrections
Norma Ramirez Gonzalez, Euvalcree
Mark Royal, Umatilla County/Human Services
John Shafer, Umatilla County/Commissioner
Briana Spencer, Confederated Tribe Umatilla
Susie Stuvland, CAPECO
J’Shon Thompson, Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center
Robert Walder, Umatilla County/Land Use & Planning
Kim Weissenfluh, Umatilla County/Developmental Disabilities
Mayra Zapeda, Umatilla County CARE Program
For more information about participants or to join the effort: www.communityrockit.org/umatillacounty
About Community ROCKit:
Community ROCKit is a grant-funded program designed to help communities develop solutions to problems created or exacerbated by COVID. It is being piloted in 3 communities during 2021, the first of which was Umatilla County, Oregon.
ROCKit aims to empower community leaders to unite across sectors, using local relationships as rocket fuel for mapping out valuable resources on hand in the community, ensuring those resources are coordinated and developing new solutions to local issues selected by the community. ROCKit is powered by X4 Health and funded by the Morris-Singer Foundation, a family foundation committed to health and a healthy democracy.
About Umatilla County:
Situated in Eastern Oregon, Umatilla County is home to more than 80,000 individuals and 3,200 acres of beautiful land. The county has three elected commissioners and is most well-known for the Pendleton Round Up, a major annual rodeo.
Media Contacts:
Community ROCKit Umatilla County
Sarah Wood John Shafer
swood@x4health.com 541-276-7111
703-864-2589
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