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Wallowa.com
Issue No. 49
March 22, 2017
EXAMINING MEDICAL CARE IN WALLOWA COUNTY
LOCAL MENTAL HEALTH
SERVICES WOULD DECLINE IF
ACA REPEALED
By Kathleen Ellyn
BY THE NUMBERS
Wallowa County Chieftain
T
here are options in Wallowa County for those in
need of mental health services, but those options
would dwindle if the Affordable Care Act is
repealed by Congress.
Should ACA be repealed, more than 400 individuals
in Wallowa County who are enrolled in mental health
services could lose access to treatment and care, said
Chantay Jett, executive director
for the Wallowa Valley Center
for Wellness.
Although there are several
residential treatment programs
in the county, the majority of
Wallowa County individuals
dealing with mental illness are
not in outpatient treatment.
Many deal with anxiety, depres-
sion and substance abuse and
remain in the community.
While the Affordable Care
Act improved access to care
Bob Joondeph
for many suffering from mental
health issues and addictions,
health care options for outpatient treatment was espe-
cially improved.
Prior to the ACA, individuals with mental health
issues could be denied insurance coverage for a variety
of reasons, including pre-existing conditions. Children,
diagnosed at a young age, could be dropped from their
plan at any time if their insurer ruled they had a pre-ex-
isting condition.
And for adults dealing with mental health issues,
fi nding employment can be diffi cult or impossible, so
many were unable to obtain reliable private insurance
through their employer.
Wraparound care
After the ACA came into effect, these men, women
and children not only had guaranteed coverage for medi-
cation and therapy but also for rehabilitative services.
400
= Individuals using
mental health or
addiction treatment
in Wallowa County
Most are not in residential facilities but
Wallowa County has three facilities available.
WALLOWA RIVER HOUSE
•
an 11-bed residential treatment facility
owned and operated by Wallowa Valley
Center for Wellness
JOSEPH HOUSE
•
a fi ve-bed residential treatment home
owned and operated by Wallowa Valley
Center for Wellness
PIONEER GUEST HOME
•
a 16-bed residential treatment facility
owned and operated by a private entity.
These wraparound services, along with the “braiding”
of funding to provide comprehensive care, is possibly the
most important benefi t to mental health in the ACA, said
Kevin Campbell, CEO of Greater Oregon Behavioral
Health, Inc. (GOBHI).
This continuum of care includes school-based coun-
seling, mobile crisis services, supported employment,
community treatment, mental health prevention and pro-
motion as well as outpatient treatment for children, fami-
lies and adults, including case management and peer deliv-
ered services, substance use disorder treatments, gambling
treatments, and on-site primary care.
See HEALTH, Page A9
$1
Folk
school
opens in
Joseph
By Tim Trainor
Wallowa County Chieftain
School is about to be in session in Jo-
seph, and not just for children.
Prairie Mountain Folk School, the
brainchild of Jennings Hotel owner Greg
Hennes, plans to start its fi rst set of classes
during the week of March 24.
Those courses include how to build
a staked bench, exploring natural dyes,
blacksmithing, carving a wooden spoon,
weaving and how to make your own herbal
vinegars.
It’s a slate that Hennes hopes will intro-
duce the folk school concept to the commu-
nity, and will allow the nonprofi t to evolve
into more offerings and a bigger workspace
in the future.
Some classes — like carving a wooden
spoon — will be taught by locals. Hennes
and his friend Tom Bonamici, who is a
University of Oregon design instructor,
will lead that fi ve-hour, one-day class.
Joseph resident Lyle Witherrite will
lead the blacksmithing class, where stu-
dents will learn to forge a hook. June Col-
ony of Wallowa will teach the lesson on
natural dyes.
See SCHOOL, Page A9
Events
apply for
motel tax
By Kathleen Ellen
Wallowa County Chieftain
The March meeting of Enterprise City
Council saw eight events apply for motel
tax money.
The city donates up to $2,000 to ap-
plicants who meet the requirements and
make a personal presentation to city coun-
cil on the appointed day. Good bookkeep-
ing and a good “pitch” are required.
Ryan Oberhelman represented the Wal-
lowa Valley Community Ice Rink in a re-
quest for a $2,000 contribution toward a
$460,500 pavilion in Enterprise City Park.
The steel structure would cover a 100x200
foot ice rink in the winter and serve as a
covered sporting and community event
structure during the other months of the
year.
Oregon Parks and Recreation Depart-
ment offers awards for such projects, but
requires 20 percent of funding come from
other sources.
The ice rink committee wants to sub-
mit for a state grant and show the city’s
donation of $2,000 as part of their match.
See EVENTS, Page A7
USDA Wildlife Services
removes poison traps
Agency says it’s working to avoid future wolf harm
By Eric Mortenson and
Tim Trainor
Wallowa County Chieftain
The director for USDA
Wildlife Services in Oregon
said the agency has removed all
M-44 cyanide poison traps from
Wallowa County, following the
unintended poisoning of a wolf
in February.
Director Dave Williams said
Wildlife Services has reviewed
what contributed to the fatal ac-
cident and shared that informa-
tion with Oregon Department of
Fish and Wildlife, which manag-
es wolves in the state. The two
agencies are in ongoing discus-
sions about how to prevent an-
other wolf death, Williams said.
“We don’t feel good about
that,” he said.
Williams said Wildlife Ser-
vices has removed M-44s from
areas identifi ed by ODFW as
places wolves are present, in-
cluding all of Wallowa County.
ODFW offi cials confi rmed that
took place.
“We appreciate that Wild-
life Services has voluntari-
ly removed M-44s,” ODFW
Wildlife Division Administrator
Doug Cottam said in a prepared
statement.
“We also recognize we want
to increase our communication
between our agencies,” Cottam
continued.
See WOLVES, Page A7
Poison capsule
M-44
Cyanide
Traps
M-44-style traps,
also known as
Canid pest ejectors,
or CPEs, were first
developed in the U.S.
in the 1930s as a way
to autonomously
control pest species.
Lure head
Bait/lure
material
Surface
grade
Trigger
lock ring
Trigger
Piston
When the animal pulls on the
baited lure head, the trigger
releases the piston. Under
pressure of a mechanical
spring, the piston strikes the
poison capsule, ejecting a
lethal dose of sodium cyanide
into the animal’s mouth.
Sources: www.predatordefense.org;
www.smithandgeorg.com.au; www.aphis.usda.gov
Ejector
body
Spring
Ground
spike
Alan Kenaga/
EO Media Group