A regional fund seeks to reduce childhood trauma

Mar. 3—A new fund created by the Columbia Pacific Coordinated Care Organization will help groups in Clatsop and Columbia counties increase outreach and education to prevent childhood trauma.

The coordinated care organization, which oversees Medicaid in Clatsop, Columbia and Tillamook counties through the Oregon Health Plan, initiated Resilient Clatsop County and the Columbia County Childhood Trauma Informed Network in 2018.

Oregon has higher rates of abuse and neglect than the national average. Rates of child abuse and neglect in Columbia County are significantly higher than state figures. While rates in Clatsop County are slightly lower than the state average, the county ranks higher in other areas that cause trauma for children, including going through the foster care system.

The counties have gaps in resources and cross-sector capacity to address the problems, which is what the networks hope to improve.

Angel Escobedo, a senior program development specialist, was hired by the organization to establish the networks and develop a road map for implementing trauma-informed policies, programs and best practices.

Over the years, the Clatsop County network, which is made up of more than two dozen organizations, including schools, hospitals and social services agencies, has identified specific projects it would like to pursue.

The new fund established by the coordinated care organization will help bring those projects online.

The coordinated care organization has invested $400,000 over two years in an independent fund through the Oregon Community Foundation. Network groups in Clatsop and Columbia counties can begin applying for grants starting Monday.

Escobedo said the projects will target young children and their families. "Particularly those who are low-income and/or who are at greater risk for (adverse childhood experiences) or those with existing trauma," he said.

Some of the projects in the pipeline deal with social and emotional learning in schools; enhancing peer support for parents; launching an education campaign about childhood trauma and emergency day care services.

A steering committee will review grant applications and decide what projects get funded and for what amount. The hope is that the fund will continue to grow with support from foundations, private donors and organizations in the network.

"By creating a fund outside of our CCO, we're really hoping to position community organizations as the drivers of this work," Mimi Haley, the executive director of the Columbia Pacific Coordinated Care Organization, said in a statement. "The need for trauma informed services was identified by the community in our Regional Health Improvement Plan process back in 2019 and we've been steadily working with partners to build local capacity and supports since then.

"Having this kind of community-led funding mechanism is the next logical step in our collective work."

Eventually, Escobedo said, the hope is for the networks to become a self-sustaining part of the community, with another local organization taking on the lead.

As part of Resilient Clatsop County's early work, the network implemented "Handle With Care," a national model that connects law enforcement with schools when a child is involved in or witnesses a traumatic event that involved law enforcement.

Now, police can call a child's school and share their name and the words "handle with care" so teachers know the child experienced trauma and may need support.

"Those are some of the things we are doing and can be done in order to mitigate the effects of (adverse childhood experiences)," Escobedo said.