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August 13, 1986, Portland Observer, Page 3
Committee Hears Input
From Community
by Bob Lothian
The
five member
committee
appointed by the county to look into
how mental health services should
be continued in North and North
east Portland held a public meeting
at the North Portland branch library
last Wednesday
Seven witnesses, including pre
sent and former employees of
North Northeast Community Men
tai Health Center, Inc., rehashed
problems at the center and made
recommendations for improvement
According to committee chair
woman Kay Dean Toran, the com
mittee will submit a report with
recommendations to Multnomah
County Executive Dennis Buchanan
by Monday. August 18
After a
review of the report, the county
will make recommendations about
how mental health care will con
tmue to be delivered in North North
east. Toran said While the issue is
being
studied.
North Northeast
Community Mental Health will con
tinue to operate through August 3 ,.
The investigating panel was ap
pointed by Buchanan July 17 after
the county refused to renew the
contract for North Northeast Com
munity Mental Health. The Mult
nomah County Social Services Divi
sion took that action after 34 of 42
staff members signed a petition ask
ing that the contract not be re
newed and that a new board be
appointed. The 34 staff members
also took a vote of no confidence
in center director David Cramer.
Protesting staff members said
conditions at the center had be
come intolerable due to harassment
of staff by board members and the
center director, because staff were
being threatened with firings, and
because the center board and
management were making incom
petent decisions that threatened
delivery of services. Fifteen staff
members filed stress claims.
The first part of Wednesday
night's meeting centered on Delau
nay Mental Health Center. Appar
ently, one option for the county is
to have Delaunay take over mana
gement of North Northeast Com
munity Mental Health
Mick Reynolds, president of the
board, and Delores Morgan, execu
tive director, appeared on behalf of
Delaunay, located at 5215 N Lorn
bard.
Toran and panel member Teletha
Beniamin questioned the witnesses
about Delaunay's ability to serve the
minority community, and about
minority representation on the
board and staff Reynolds respond
ed that two out of 20 of Delaunay's
board members are black and one
is an American Indian. According
to Morgan, 19 percent of Delau
nay's staff are minorities
Other questions dealt with com
munications problems between De
launay and North Northeast, pro
blems that, according to Reynolds,
resulted from the upheaval at North
Northeast.
But Ozodi Osuji, clinical super
visor at North Northeast, said that
part of the communications prob
lem was the perception by staff at
North Northeast
that
Delaunay
does not care for the poor. "That's
the reason we do not send our
clients to them," he said.
In the same vein, Jim Foster,
welfare assistance worker with the
Adult Family Services Division, re
ported that Delaunay had inappro
priately billed some of his clients
who had been referred to Delaunay
That intimidated the cliepts and
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mental health care, Foster said.
Regarding the internal problems
at North Northeast. Osup attributed
those problems to actions taken
"behind the scenes ' by a group
with a "hidden agenda."
That
agenda was aimed at undermining
Cramer's leadership. Osu|i said
"It seems to me that Mr Cramer
was not given a chance when he
came on board," Osup said "It was
very clear to me there was a power
struggle within the management
team '
Dr Edward Green, a psychiatrist
who was fired after a year at North
Northeast and who worked there
later for one additional year, read a
list of 13 points alleging manage
ment and board incompetence
"This is not a racial issue but a
competence issue," Green said. "I
think the program itself is salvage
able
I think it was sabotaged by
the board of directors."
Ozodi Osup clinical supervisor at N NE M e n ta l
H ealth C enter testifies before a five m em ber
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