The Oregon Health Authority is facing mounting questions from agency staff and disability advocates about its system that determines whether vulnerable Oregonians receive the mental health care they need.

Earlier this year, the authority launched an internal audit after an agency staffer grew concerned about possible financial mismanagement, unprofessional behavior and poor decisions about how much care Oregonians in residential facilities should receive, the Capital Chronicle discovered through public records. The whistleblower, whose name is redacted in documents, contacted the Oregon Secretary of State’s hotline in March, sparking the audit, which is due for completion as soon as mid-September.

The system directly impacts the plight of hundreds of Oregonians who need behavioral health services, often intensive care in residential facilities, by determining what treatment and services Medicaid insurers will pay for as well. The system is part of the reason Oregon has a mental health crisis, advocates say.

Many patients don’t get the care they need – partly because assessors are ill trained, often through YouTube videos, advocates found.

Oregon Health Authority spokesman Tim Heider did not answer questions from the Capital Chronicle about the issue, including what improvements, if any, it has made in response to the concerns of disability advocates. Instead, he sent a four-sentence statement saying the agency acknowledges concerns and recognizes that people need...

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