Linn County Public Health is expanding its outreach into east Linn County, recently completing an upgrade of its building in Sweet Home and doubling the amount of space it utilizes in that building.
For several years, Benton County had teamed up with Linn County to provide the Federal Quality Healthcare Center out of the 5,000 square foot building at 799 Long St. Recently, Benton County moved into another building, providing Linn County the opportunity to expand its offerings there.
Sandy Minta of Linn County Mental Health said the county plans to “provide outpatient services to adults and children. We also have mobile crisis response and community outreach to individuals with severe mental illness in Sweet Home.”
She said expanded services will include individual, group and psychiatric (medication) services five days per week.
Public Health Manager Shane Sanderson said Maternal Child Health will provide services one day a week, the county’s immunization team will now be providing vaccines at that site and WIC will be there one to two days so people can schedule and be seen locally.
“Health Promotions will be there one to two days a week doing community organizing/education in various subject areas (tobacco cessation, access to care, OHP/insurance assistance, etc.),” Sanderson said.
Alcohol and Drug Manager Justin Thomas said that in 2023 more than 100 Sweet Home residents received services, primarily through the Lebanon office.
Expanding the Sweet Home site will provide them with more in-office services, Thomas said.
“We will be able to provide more group therapy,” Thomas said. “We will add staff and provide more localized care.”
Thomas said the goal is to be able to provide services on a level with the Lebanon Public Health office.
“We want to be able to provide our Sweet Home residents with the same kind of services as people in Albany and Lebanon,” Thomas said.
Thomas said the Alcohol and Drug Department has had one full-time equivalent staff member assigned to the Sweet Home office. He hopes to increase that by one or two positions by the end of the year.
Public Health Administrator Terri McQueen said Vernon Mills of General Services oversaw the project with services provided by the following contractors: Paint Doctors: interior painting; JP Harvest Construction: vinyl and carpet; Premier Electric: electrical and data ports; Complete Plumbing: installed new toilets and added water bottle station; SAS Balancing: updated HVAC flow; Larsell Mechanical: updated duct work; Oregon Corrections Enterprise: new desks, three-drawer system, and side/lobby chairs; ErgoCentric: new office desk chairs.
The office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Call 541.967.3888.