The immediate health and safety of people who have received mental health services in our community is paramount. On Wednesday, as part of its investigation process into how reports of abuse of an adult with a mental illness were handled last year, Multnomah County announced it is doing everything it can to ensure that past and current practices for receiving and handling abuse reports are robust and thorough.
In addition to launching a full investigation and making administrative changes on Aug. 15, we have taken three key steps to assure community members’ health and safety:
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We have made immediate policy and practice changes to make certain that reports of abuse are properly handled. One hundred percent of all new reports are being inspected by a manager.
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In our retrospective review, we are also evaluating each of nearly 1,200 reports made between January 2017 and August 2018 to assess compliance with processes and protocols, to see to it that necessary action has been taken. As part of our due diligence, we are reviewing these matters from every angle and are consulting with the State, the Multnomah County District Attorney, and Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office to ensure public safety.
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We are asking that anyone who reported abuse of an adult with a mental illness during those dates and has concerns about the report to call 503-988-8170.