Click here to access the mental health pages of the 2022-25 Klamath County Community Health Improvement Plan.

Click here to access the report for Quarter 2.

Klamath Basin Behavioral Health

Frequent mental distress was experienced by 17% of the residents in the 2022 County Rankings & Roadmaps report.

The same report found Klamath County residents experiencing 5.1 poor mental health days each month.

There were 23 suicides in 2020, which was the most recent official data released by Oregon Health Authority.

Decrease stigma and increase health-seeking behaviors by 5%.

The plan provides the following key indicators and context for statewide behavioral health:

• Unmet emotional or mental healthcare need among youth (Student Health Survey) [Key Indicator]

• Suicide rate (Oregon Vital Statistics) [Key Indicator]

• Adults with poor mental health in past month (Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey) [Key Indicator]

Behavioral health describes the relationship between behaviors, physical health and overall well-being. Behavioral health includes, but is not limited to, mental health, substance use and gambling. Oregon has the highest prevalence of mental health conditions among youth and adults in the nation. Access to behavioral healthcare is a challenge. Communities describe many barriers related to provider shortages, long wait times, transportation challenges, and difficulty finding a culturally and linguistically responsive provider. The following strategies are specific to mental health. For strategies specific to alcohol and substance use, please see the Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission 2020-2025 Statewide Strategic Plan.

• Conduct behavioral health system assessments at state, tribal and local levels.

• Enable community-based organizations to destigmatize behavioral health by providing culturally responsive information to people they serve.

• Implement public awareness campaigns to reduce the stigma of seeking behavioral health services.

• Create state agency partnerships in education, criminal justice, housing, social services, public health and healthcare to improve behavioral health outcomes among BIPOC-AI/AN.

• Improve integration between behavioral health and other types of care.

• Incentivize culturally responsive behavioral health treatments rooted in evidence-based and promising practices.

• Reduce systemic barriers to receiving behavioral health services, such as transportation, language and assessment.

• Use healthcare payment reform to ensure comprehensive behavioral health services are reimbursed. • Continue to strengthen enforcement of the Mental Health Parity and Addictions Law.

• Increase resources for culturally responsive suicide prevention programs for communities most at risk.

The initiative provides the following leading health indicators, goal and nationwide context:

• Suicides (Leading Health Indicator)

• Adolescents with major depressive episodes who receive treatment (Leading Health Indicator)

About half of all people in the United States will be diagnosed with a mental disorder at some point in their lifetime.¹ Healthy People 2030 focuses on the prevention, screening, assessment, and treatment of mental disorders and behavioral conditions. The Mental Health and Mental Disorders objectives also aim to improve health and quality of life for people affected by these conditions.

Mental disorders affect people of all age and racial/ethnic groups, but some populations are disproportionately affected. And estimates suggest that only half of all people with mental disorders get the treatment they need.²

In addition, mental health and physical health are closely connected. Mental disorders like depression and anxiety can affect people’s ability to take part in healthy behaviors. Similarly, physical health problems can make it harder for people to get treatment for mental disorders. Increasing screening for mental disorders can help people get the treatment they need.