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SEASIDE, Oregon — Today, Columbia Pacific Coordinated Care Organization (CCO) announced grants totaling nearly $250,000 to community organizations serving children, teens and young adults. With increased social isolation and reduced access to many traditional support systems, the pandemic has created an even greater need in our region for the services these organizations provide.

“We are so grateful for the vital services that our local partners wrap around our children and youth, helping improve their social and emotional health, especially during these difficult times,” said Mimi Haley, Executive Director of Columbia Pacific.

The Columbia Pacific Board of Directors is pleased to announce approving the following grants to Oregon-based nonprofit organizations serving our region:

• $122,426 to the Amani Center to fund a two-and-a-half-year grant for a community collaborative project with the Columbia County District Attorney’s Office. Funds will help cover the costs to employ a full-time, child-abuse multi-disciplinary team coordinator. The project aims to support child victims, minimize trauma to children and families and improve long-term health and justice outcomes for children.
  
  “We are incredibly grateful for Columbia Pacific’s support of this project. An effective multi-disciplinary team is the foundation of community-based and comprehensive child-abuse intervention. It’s amazing to see our community working together to keep kids safe,” said Amani Center Interim Executive Director Amelia Kercher.
• $100,000 to Youth Era for youth suicide prevention programming targeting teens and young adults. With this funding, Youth Era’s peer support specialists will be able to serve more teens and young adults in Columbia County experiencing behavioral health challenges, both in-person and virtually. These specialists draw on their training and lived experience in mental health, foster care, and juvenile justice systems to provide one-on-one guidance and support. Such support has been crucial during the pandemic, which has increased anxiety, depression, substance use, financial hardship and homelessness among young people.
  
  "The Columbia Pacific grant is vital for our work to continue progressing in Columbia County. We will be able to reach more youth in person and virtually moving forward thanks to these funds,” said Nick Clark, a Youth Era peer support specialist.
• $25,242 to the Northwest Early Learning Hub to help fund Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL), a popular book-gifting program that mails free books to children from birth until they begin school in participating areas. Research shows a correlation between early literacy and educational achievement, health outcomes and employment prospects throughout life. During the pandemic, the DPIL has helped hundreds of children in our communities continue their development, often without access to formal learning or library reading programs. Columbia Pacific has partnered with the Early Leaning Hub to help fund this program since 2018.
  
  “Partnering with Columbia Pacific on delivering Dolly Parton Imagination Library in the region has meant over 2,600 children receive a free monthly book to their home. Beyond the increased access to early literacy, we’ve heard from many families how much their child enjoys getting mail every month and how special it makes them feel that the book is specifically for them,” said Elena Barreto, an Early Learning Hub community navigator.

Columbia Pacific is part of the CareOregon family of companies. During its 2020-2021 grant cycle, Columbia Pacific has so far invested slightly more than $4.7 million in community-based organizations working to build a stronger, better-connected Northwest Oregon.

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About Columbia Pacific CCO

Columbia Pacific CCO is proud to serve all Oregon Health Plan members living in Clatsop, Columbia and Tillamook counties. As a nonprofit coordinated care organization (CCO), we provide physical, dental and mental health care through a growing network of healthcare providers. Our priorities are guided by our local board of directors, community advisory councils and clinical advisory panel, and are informed by extensive community engagement. Columbia Pacific is committed to promoting the health of all those in our region. We especially focus on increasing access to language services, offering treatment for those experiencing substance use disorders, and fostering connections that promote social health. Columbia Pacific, part of the CareOregon family of companies, has offices in Seaside.

About CareOregon

For more than 25 years, CareOregon has offered health services and community benefit programs to Oregon Health Plan members. Today, we support the needs of more than 500,000 Oregonians through three coordinated care organizations, a Medicare Advantage plan, a Tribal Care Coordination program, a dental care organization, and in-home medical care with Housecall Providers. CareOregon members have access to integrated physical, dental and mental health care, and substance use treatment. We believe that good health requires more than clinics and hospitals, so we also connect members to housing, fresh food, education and transportation services. CareOregon is a mission-driven, community-based nonprofit with offices in Portland, Medford and Seaside, Oregon.