The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
MHAAO has grown from 70 staff to over 170 in the past year to meet the challenges impacting our community -- from the housing crisis to the overdose epidemic. Our community is facing a crisis. Nationally, Oregon has some of the highest rates of drug use, mental health issues, and houselessness; and fewest resources. Our state ranks worst in the country in access to addiction treatment and mental health care. Houselessness in Portland, which disproportionately impacts BIPOC communities and people experiencing behavioral health challenges, has increased by at least 30% since 2019; and drug overdoses have more than doubled. MHAAO has tripled in size to meet these challenges, expanding our training offerings and direct services and focusing our efforts on targeted outreach, harm reduction, and housing and treatment referrals. Everyday, over 150 peer support specialists provide mentorship, advocacy, career coaching, reentry services, referrals, resources, harm reduction supplies, and more throughout the community. Peer support is a non-clinical, evidence-based, highly-effective recovery service and critical component of behavioral healthcare in Oregon. There is magic in the sharing of lived experiences, in receiving services from someone who has been there. We help our peers set and meet their recovery goals, such as getting into treatment, securing housing, or finding employment, and feel empowered to direct their own path forward to recovery, health, and healing.