A4
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2019
Director: Agency has struggled to attract, retain expert staff
Continued from Page A1
a text message. “I trust that
my leadership team and staff
continue to respond to the
needs of the community in
my absence. I look forward
to serving Clatsop County’s
residents again soon.”
Debbie Morrow, the
chairwoman of the agen-
cy’s board, could not imme-
diately be reached for
comment.
Ben Paz, the agency’s
crisis services manager,
was named interim execu-
tive director. “Every CBH
employee deserves pri-
vacy as it pertains to his
or her employment, so I
can’t really comment on
those issues,” he said when
asked to explain the cir-
cumstances of Baker’s
leave. “CBH does remain
in a strong clinical posi-
tion. No services are going
to be impacted by current
events.”
Some of the staff at Clat-
sop Behavioral Health-
care, speaking privately
to discuss internal opera-
tions, are unnerved by the
cryptic nature of Baker’s
exit. The agency’s human
resources director sent out
an email Wednesday after-
noon explaining Baker
would be out of the offi ce
for the next two weeks and
that Paz would be their con-
tact. On Thursday and Fri-
day, sources said, word sur-
faced that Paz was interim
executive director.
While Baker serves at
the discretion of the agen-
cy’s board, the county con-
tracts with Clatsop Behav-
ioral Healthcare to provide
mental health coverage,
so the county manager
and the Board of Com-
missioners have oversight
responsibility.
“We were kind of caught
off guard by this, to say the
least,” said Monica Steele,
the county’s budget and
fi nance director and assis-
tant county manager.
Baker arrived in June
2016 after three top admin-
istrators at the mental health
agency left under a cloud of
management dysfunction,
staff turnover, legal trou-
ble and complaints about
patient care. She was the
director of prevention and
trauma informed systems at
Greater Oregon Behavioral
Health Inc., which helps
administer mental health
treatment in Clatsop and
several other counties.
Over the past 2 1/2 years,
Clatsop Behavioral Health-
care has also operated a cri-
sis respite center in Warren-
ton and launched mobile
crisis services to help relieve
pressure on local hospi-
tals and the county jail. The
agency has partnered with
Columbia Memorial Hos-
pital in Astoria on medica-
tion-assisted treatment to
help combat opioid abuse.
Baker emerged as a voice
of compassion for the needy
in policy debates over the
homeless and a new county
jail. She has also improved
relationships between the
mental health agency, the
county and law enforce-
ment through more frequent
communication.
But the agency, like many
in rural areas, has struggled
to attract and retain expert
staff. Some staff also still
complain privately about a
toxic and unhealthy work
environment.
“I thought she’s been
doing a good job,” said
Scott Lee, who served as
the chairman of the county
commission.
Josh Marquis, the former
district attorney, has been
critical in the past of the
county’s handling of men-
tal health treatment. “Amy
has been much, much more
responsive than most — if
not all — of the previous
CBH directors,” he said.
“The only concern I’ve had
is that there has been an
alarming turnover.
“But, in fairness, I think
that probably has very little
to do with Amy and more
to do with the pay that’s
offered and the nature of the
work, which is very, very
high intensity.”
Mo’s: Will
seat up to
200 diners
Continued from Page A1
Jolee Bancroft, the com-
pany’s president, said in a
release. “We are so excited
to bring our culture of fam-
ily dining to this esteemed
community.”
Mo’s has been in Can-
non Beach since 1991 and
opened a new location and
commercial chowder kitchen
in Astoria in 2017. Shilo Inns
reached out to Mo’s about
moving into Seaside, said
Riley Plesha, the restaurant’s
director of marketing.
The new location will
have a mix of indoor and
outdoor seating for up to
200 diners . The restaurant is
closed for renovation until
March or April.
Representatives for Shilo
Inns were not immediately
available for comment.
Council: It’s
been rare to see
more than three
candidates run
Continued from Page A1
Leahy is a former retail
store owner and department
store executive who grad-
uated from Astoria High
School. He has led Clat-
sop Economic Development
Resources and Clatsop Com-
munity College’s Small Busi-
ness Development Center for
the past several years. CEDR
provides business, fi nancial
and workforce guidance to
entrepreneurs and business
owners in the region.
Jessamyn West, the
co-owner of the Odd Fellows
B uilding downtown and
the executive director of the
Astoria Arts and Movement
Center, has also applied for
the vacancy.
Clifford Hunter-Gammon,
a software support manager,
and Pamela Mattson McDon-
ald, a writer and researcher,
are the other applicants .
Mattson McDonald ran for
a position on the Clatsop
Community College b oard
in 2017, but was defeated by
incumbent Patrick Wingard.
“We were pleased that we
had four people interested,”
Jones said, noting that even
for elections it has been rare
to see more than three candi-
dates run .
Each applicant will have
up to fi ve minutes to intro-
duce themselves on Mon-
day and talk about why they
should be appointed . Jones
said people in the audience
will also have a chance to
provide public comment
before city councilors discuss
the applicants and vote .
Jones is also in the middle
of considering appointments
to several other city boards
and has received a large num-
ber of applications for each
opening.
“Lots of well-qualifi ed
people,” the mayor-elect said.
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