Child Health Focus
Oregon aims to make social and emotional health care for young children more available with a new metric. The Oregon Health Authority has adopted the Child-Level Social Emotional Health Metric, which will improve and incentivize this care for kids from birth to age five who are on the state’s Medicaid program. Oregon is the first state in the country to adopt a measure like this. Andi Walsh with the Children’s Institute in Oregon says social-emotional health is the foundation for everyone’s mental health.
“Building the ability to develop relationships, to experience and express emotions, to explore – all of those are components of social-emotional health and all of those are the building blocks for positive mental and physical health later in childhood and adulthood.”
Walsh says the country’s youth are experiencing a mental health crisis, and Oregon is falling behind. A recent ranking from Mental Health America on access to care for youth placed Oregon third to last.
City Meeting Schedule
There are a couple of meetings slated for next week by the city of Florence. Monday the Public Arts Committee will meet at 4pm. Staff will present several topics including the Art Exposed. On Tuesday the Florence Planning Commission will meet at 5:30. The agenda for that meeting has not yet been published. The Florence Urban Renewal Agency has cancelled their regularly scheduled meeting that was set for Wednesday.
Scam Alert
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office received information from the public regarding multiple scam calls. Residents in on the Central Oregon Coast are receiving calls from subjects identifying themselves as active members of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. The scammers are requesting money for a COVID small business loan. If you receive any calls from anyone identifying themselves as a police officer or Sheriff’s Deputy requesting money or anything of value please do not provide any financial information or resources. Scammers have targeted other counties, including Lane County with similar techniques. Note the number, the name of the caller, and report the call to your local police agency. The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office does not solicit donations or money over the phone or through the mail.
Casino Celebrates 20 Years
It has been in operation for 20 years this year. The Three Rivers Casino Resort celebrated with team members with a roaring 20’s themed gathering. 15 members have been with the casino since its inception. Three Rivers Casino also operates the Three Rivers Foundation that funnels money to local and regional non-profits through grants each year awarding millions of dollars to Western Oregon.
