Summit focuses on behavioral health, addiction and community opioid response
The Eastern Oregon in Action Summit returns to Pendleton next week, bringing together healthcare professionals, community leaders and advocates to examine behavior health and substance use challenges in our communities.
This year’s event, Eastern Oregon in Action: Behavioral Health & Community Opioid Response Summit, is a partnership between the City of Pendleton, Greater Oregon Behavioral Health, Inc (GOBHI), Community Counseling Solutions and the Opioid Response Network. The Summit will take place Sept. 24-25 at the Pendleton Convention Center.
The two-day event will focus on the gaps that can prevent people from accessing behavioral health and substance use services and how communities can work together to address those gaps. Sessions will explore housing instability and co-occurring conditions, treatment and jail systems and the challenges created when people encounter fragmented or "siloed" systems.
“Eastern Oregon communities already have incredible people and organizations doing this work, but no single agency or system can solve these challenges alone,” said Kati Jokinen, GOBHI SUD Coordinator. “This summit is about getting the right people in the same room, looking honestly at where our system is working and where people are still falling through the gaps, and turning that conversation into action. Our goal isn’t simply to have another meeting. It’s to leave with stronger partnerships, clearer priorities, and concrete next steps that improve how people in our communities access help when they need it.”
This year’s event kicks off at 8 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 24. Thursday’s sessions will highlight local services, lived experiences and a look at where gaps exist in systems and how people fall through the cracks. The day’s formal program sessions end at 4:15 p.m., following by “Appetizers & Conversations,” an informal networking and discussion time from 4:45 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Friday’s sessions again begin at 8 a.m. and will move from discussion toward action. Participants will engage in a live Community Access Assessment, examining services from both personal and community perspectives before working together to map resources and discuss opportunities for future action. The summit concludes with a community share-out highlighting the range of experiences from barriers to promising solutions identified during the event.
Registration is required.
Additional comments:
Sarah Canavese, Regional Outreach & Engagement Coordinator for Region 10 of the Opioid Response Network:
“As the Regional Outreach & Engagement Coordinator for the Opioid Response Network (ORN), housed within the Northwest Addiction Technology and Transfer Center (NWATTC) at the University of Washington School of Medicine, I have had the privilege of working alongside community partners to help plan and support the Eastern Oregon in Action Summit. ORN is a national initiative funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to provide education, training, and technical assistance to communities addressing opioid- and stimulant-related challenges free of cost. Through collaboration with local organizations, health care providers, public agencies, and community leaders, this summit creates a space to share knowledge, strengthen partnerships, and identify practical strategies that support healthier and more resilient communities.”
"Our goal is to create a space where community members, providers, educators, public health professionals, people with lived and living experience, and other partners can come together to share ideas, learn from one another, and strengthen connections. We know that lasting change happens through collaboration, and we hope participants leave with new relationships, fresh perspectives, and practical strategies they can bring back to their communities."
Kara Pattinson, Medical Director for Community Counseling Solutions:
“As Medical Director for Community Counseling Solutions, I am pleased to be involved in the Eastern Oregon in Action Summit and to support an event that brings together community members, behavioral health providers, public health professionals, and other partners from across our region. At Community Counseling Solutions, we understand the unique challenges of providing behavioral health and substance use services in rural and frontier communities, and we value opportunities like this to strengthen relationships, share practical solutions, and learn from one another.”
“In Eastern Oregon, collaboration isn’t just beneficial, it’s essential. When organizations and communities come together, we can build stronger connections, improve access to care, and develop solutions that truly reflect the needs of the people and communities we serve.”
###