ABOUT US
The Oregon Center on Behavioral Health and Justice Integration (OCBHJI) — started in 2017 — is a statewide program in partnership with the Oregon Health Authority to provide specialized training and technical assistance for behavioral health and justice partners to enhance knowledge and improve practices aimed at treating people who, primarily due to symptoms of serious behavioral health conditions neurocognitive conditions, and/or intellectual/developmental disabilities, are at risk of becoming incarcerated or are already within the system. OCBHJI is a specialized division within Greater Oregon Behavioral Health, Inc. (GOBHI).
PURPOSE
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The OCBHJI helps jurisdictions across the state implement and improve systemic and programmatic efforts in treatment of individuals experiencing serious behavioral health needs, neurocognitive conditions, and/or intellectual/developmental disabilities who come into contact with the justice system, while ensuring accountability and public safety.
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OCBHJI provides information, facilitation, training and technical assistance for anyone working in Oregon’s behavioral health and justice systems including interdisciplinary groups, teams, and individuals with an emphasis on working with and through Local Public Safety Coordinating Councils (LPSCC).
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The Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) provides the organizing framework for information and activities associated with the Center.
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The Center is committed to building strong partnerships among all components of the local justice system, local county leadership, people with lived experiences, and behavioral health service providers.
STEERING COMMITTEE
The OCBHJI steering committee is comprised of experts representing the behavioral health and criminal justice fields, including:
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Judges
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Defense Counsel
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Prosecutors
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State Officials
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Trial Court Administrators
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County Commissioners
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Behavioral Health Professionals
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Disability Rights Advocates
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Local Public Safety Coordinating Councils (LPSCC) Coordinators
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As well as other stakeholder groups
OUR STAFF
Melissa Thompson, MA LPC CADC-I
Chief Behavioral Health Officer, GOBHI
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Melissa is the Chief Behavioral Health Officer for GOBHI and Behavioral Health Director of Eastern Oregon Coordinated Care Organization. She holds a Masters Degree in Forensic Psychology, is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor, and a Certified Crisis Intervention Specialist. Melissa has spent the last 25 years of her career devoted to helping others within the field of behavioral health, including child welfare, community mental health, crisis intervention, incarceral mental health, and drug and alcohol treatment. Melissa has been a leader in various community and statewide efforts to improve community collaboration, improve community safety, and improve community access to treatment through the Behavioral Health Population Health Team at PacificSource Community Solutions, Deschutes County Threat Assessment Team, Suicide Prevention Coalitions, Deschutes County Family Drug Court Team, and leading the Deschutes County Crisis Intervention Training Program. Melissa has and continues to assist the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) in creating and teaching crisis intervention curriculum for law enforcement. Melissa also continues a small private practice providing behavioral health treatment to first responders. Melissa and her husband of 21 years, three children, and two labradoodles reside in Bend, Oregon where they enjoy the beauty of Central Oregon.
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Michelle Brandsma, PhD (a.b.d.), MS, CADC III, MAC, QMHP
Director, Oregon Center on Behavioral Health and Justice Integration
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Michelle has a 21-year history of working in the field of substance use disorders.
Prior to employment at GOBHI, Michelle spent 15 years working with incarcerated men as a Program Director of in-prison substance use disorder programs in both Oregon and California. Michelle began her career with corrections in 2002 by working for Deschutes County Juvenile Justice Center. She has worked closely with Parole and Probation, Drug Courts, and adult corrections.
Michelle is a level 3 Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC III) with certification through MHACBO, a Master Level Counselor certified with NAADAC (MAC), Masters in Psychology (MS) and working on completing her dissertation for her PhD in addiction psychology. Her passion is to be a part of ensuring that the gap between behavioral health, law enforcement and corrections is filled with supportive services.
Ridg Medford
Behavioral Health and Justice Specialist
Ridg served as a certified police officer for over 16 years. He served his entire law enforcement career with the Ontario Police Department and held his advanced police certification through the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST). During his time with the Police Department, he served in many roles, including school resource officer, motor officer, and detective. He has also served as the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) coordinator for Malheur County. He is a mental health first aid instructor, a trauma informed care instructor, a qualified sequential intercept model mapping workshop facilitator, a certified crisis intervention team coordinator, a juvenile fire-setter intervention specialist, and a nationally certified anger management specialist. Ridg is passionate about teaching and has taught crisis intervention and officer wellness topics at local, regional, and international levels. He is an acting board member of Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) International, serving as 1st Vice President. He also serves on the national advisory board for the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) CIT ASSIST program.
Ridg is very community driven and serves or has served on several boards, including being the chairperson of the board for the Housing Authority of Malheur and Harney Counties. Ridg is a passionate outdoorsman and can often be found in the mountains with his family and friends.
Megan Mecouch
Behavioral Health and Justice Specialist
Megan is certified as a Qualified Mental Health Associate and has been working within acute Behavioral Health since 2016. She started at St. Charles Hospital in the Emergency Psychiatric Unit as well as Sage View Psychiatric Center. She then transitioned to Deschutes County Stabilization Center where she has spent her time providing case management, intervention planning and assessments. Megan is a part of the new Community Crisis Response team for Deschutes County. She works with emergency first responders and community partners to assess individuals who are experiencing a mental health crisis. In her spare time Megan likes to spend time with her family and be active within her community. Megan looks forward to integrating her knowledge into working with OCBHJI.
Madi Clifford
Behavioral Health & Justice Specialist
Madi is the Sequential Intercept Model mapping specialist for the Oregon Center on Behavioral Health & Justice Integration, specializing in both adult and youth populations across Oregon. Madi has worked within trauma-informed schools and group homes where she was able to provide counseling services, case management, and intervention to students and clients.
She enjoys traveling to the various counties in Oregon to assist them in mapping out their criminal justice system to identify how individuals with mental illness, IDDs, and /or developmental disabilities flow through the system. Helping Oregon counties identify gaps and create action plans on how to better their communities is one of the highlights of her job. In her free time Madi loves to paint, create music, and spend time with family and friends.
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