November 1, 2007

Fighting HIV and Mental Illness on the Oregon Trail

Thanks to a $1.2 million federal grant, the Oregon Department of Human Services is poised to assist people living with both HIV/AIDS and mental illness. The grant will provide housing and mental health services for these individuals (bizjournals.com/Portland Business Journal, 10/31).

“For people living with HIV, having a stable place to live makes a huge difference in helping them stay as well and independent as possible,” says Dr. Susan Allan, state health officer for the Oregon Department of Human Services Public Health Division.

The Oregon DHS was one of four national applicants selected to receive the grant, provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Partners in the project include ASO Cascade AIDS Project and Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare, a community-based mental health and addiction service provider.