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
Ari Basil-Wagner
Chief Operating Officer, GOBHI
Director, Operations Department
Ari is a member of GOBHI's executive team and director of the Operations Department which includes the Center on BHJI. She is skilled in organizational development, strategic planning, creating positive work cultures, project facilitation, public speaking, creative problem solving and the art of bringing hope / inspiration to the workplace. She has over 15 years of successful strategic planning, organizational development, and change management with a proven history of transformative and caring leadership. Ari is a proficient facilitator that leads organizations from "reactive" stressed environments to "proactive" and creative cultures. As a public speaker, she is an expert communicator; highly sought-after presenter on a variety of subjects including corrections transformation, health integration, leadership development, team building, trauma informed care, and more.
With an undergraduate degree in Social Work and a graduate degree in Public Policy, Planning, and Management (focus area in research), her work has focused on system improvements or reform in juvenile and adult corrections, health integration, behavioral health, public health, and senior services. Her research covers the span of process evaluation, outcome designs, and fiscal models of cost avoidance research. She is able to translate complex data into palatable information while inspiring engagement and collaboration. Ari is co-author on the book, “Dispatches from Juvenile Hall: Fixing a Failing System,” Penguin 2009 (under previous name, Linda Wagner). Ari has also taught college courses on the relationship between behavioral health issues and juvenile justice.
She has provided statewide training on Sequential Intercept Model mapping, Foundations of Trauma Informed Care, and How Being Trauma-Informed Improves Criminal Justice Responses.
Chris Thomas
Oregon Center on Behavioral Health and Justice Integration Director
Chris has focused on the intersection between behavioral health and criminal justice for 20 years. During undergraduate and graduate school, Chris co-developed and co-facilitated a group with females who were incarcerated at Hillcrest Youth Correctional Facility for committing a violent crime. After graduate school, Chris worked for the Department of Corrections within a maximum security prison as a mental health specialist concentrating on a specialized caseload with individuals experiencing serious and persistent behavioral health concerns, as well as crisis calls. When she moved into Release Counselor work, she carried the only specialized mental health and developmental disability caseload in the state.
After over 7 years of working with incarcerated individuals within the walls of the Oregon State Penitentiary, Chris promoted into administration to coordinate Short-Term Transitional Leave (STTL), a statute-based justice reinvestment program designed to release eligible nonviolent adults in custody into early release structured post-prison supervision. Chris continued to bridge the gap between behavioral health and criminal justice as the Fitness to Proceed and Jail Diversion Coordinator for the Oregon Health Authority. She supported evidenced-based practice while managing specialty (treatment) court and residential substance abuse treatment grants for the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission.
Chris joined GOBHI in January 2018. She is a GAINS Center Trauma Informed Care Trainer, as well as a certified Sequential Intercept Mapping Trainer. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of Oregon and a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology from Pacific University. In January 2022, Chris began studies at the University of Southern California’s Organizational Change and Leadership Doctorate of Education program.
Chris is also the host and co-producer of “The Center Collaborative: Creative Solutions in Behavioral Health and Criminal Justice” podcast.
Jo Pedro-Frye
Behavioral Health and Justice Specialist
Jo has worked in mental health since 2016 serving a vast range of clientele including children and families, severely persistent mentally ill, individuals experiencing mental health crisis, and those involved in the criminal justice system. Jo has an MS in psychology, BS in psychology, and a post graduate certification in Applied Behavior Analysis. In her time working in community mental health Jo has become a Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor 1, a Mental Health Investigator, a Registered Behavior Interventionist, and a Qualified Mental Health Professional. Jo is certified in Eye Movement Desensitization And Reprocessing (EMDR), Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT), Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), as well as a Mental Health First Aid trainer.
Jo is very community focused and puts great effort into collaborating with community partners. This has been a focus particularly when implementing her local jail diversion program as well as working on the mobile crisis team. Jo looks forward to sharing her passion for helping others throughout her work with the OCBHJI team.
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.
Kim Miller
Behavioral Health and Justice Specialist
Kim has been working in the Substance Use Disorder treatment field since 2006, primarily working with individuals involved in specialty court programs. Kim has worked in community mental health programs and at community corrections.
Kim has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Eastern Oregon University and is also a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor II. Kim has extensive group facilitation experience, and is trained and/or certified in Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT), Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing, and also in trauma-informed approaches to women’s treatment.
During the 15 years Kim was involved with the Union County Treatment Court team, she established many long-term collaborative relationships with community partners. Kim has also recently joined the Union County Behavioral Health team in her official OCBHJI capacity. Kim prioritizes collaboration within communities, in order to provide the most effective interventions for individuals facing challenging circumstances. Kim is excited to join the OCBHJI team to be able to work collaboratively with other counties throughout the state.
In her spare time, Kim enjoys appreciating the natural beauty of Eastern Oregon by camping, hiking, and swimming with her family.
