[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6492877,"mediaKeyId","5809626-b9d909066c4d954e7460462c516d74e8","parentId",5809626,"title","Northwest Senior and Disability Services outlines local Medicaid, SNAP and senior-support programs to Clatsop County advisory group","audioSeconds",1187,"startMs",428000,"endMs",1615000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5809626-b9d909066c4d954e7460462c516d74e8&start=428&end=1615","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5809626-b9d909066c4d954e7460462c516d74e8/thumbnail_428000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6492877/Clatsop-County/Oregon/Northwest-Senior-and-Disability-Services-outlines-local-Medicaid-SNAP-and-senior-support-programs-to-Clatsop-County-advisory-group","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6492877-e9693211f926c167ed0a39cea2483ff0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770498205&Signature=efjJEqrVv1yz4BXMf-FSEoSsECkjEHwOsSZtJpLeupDRbA0z2S0IP20bRm1N9wW-DjyQGg9PYGGRNIcq69yQZ2o9OZ4m1GkPWfg9K4RO~jgPCnvT1VVkGb-q9Wx23JVNkUyowPdzMnjRWDYvvVHwK79Om8xKcPUceFsyEflGLQRNb1psqvmY1yQpEbflB-pXJMXgjJb8DFPtgjG13wXj~ATZxsJsf41YNpHdqXXq04UFduyoezknPKwvKFor5cJbb93A3g8w4ZIAYh5VKUEIyDNmOXKfBQagtUWj4Qef2wK-PBU0pV~WQW9VjqXmXvLokPsUa3Y4c7JYYu4ZbaLiYA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Clatsop County, OR","date","2025-09-22T20:32:38.053Z","article","Suzanne Bjarnsen, program manager for Northwest Senior and Disability Services, told the Clatsop County advisory group that her agency is the local Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) and serves five Oregon counties, including Clatsop.

Bjarnsen said the agency helps residents apply for Medicaid long-term care, Medicare savings programs and SNAP, connects callers to local services, runs senior meal sites and provides caregiver supports. “We’re a local intergovernment agency … a one-stop shopping for when people have resource information they need,” she said.

Why it matters: Northwest Senior and Disability Services is a primary local access point for older adults and people with disabilities seeking long-term care and benefits. Its eligibility work and community programs affect care placement, household budgets and food access for county residents who are older or disabled.

The agency’s services and how people find them

Bjarnsen said the agency receives federal and state funding and some private donations and that county-level work is coordinated with a board made up of county commissioners and advisory councils. She described two eligibility steps for Medicaid long-term care: a financial review by eligibility specialists and an in-person assessment of activities of daily living by case managers. Services may be provided in home-based settings or in assisted living, adult foster homes or nursing facilities when guideline thresholds are met.

She said the agency also helps lower-income Medicare enrollees with Medicare Part B premiums through Medicare savings programs and provides SHIBA (Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance) counseling to explain Medicare and drug-plan options.

Enrollment and local operations

Asked by Amber Bowman how many county residents are enrolled, Bjarnsen said there are “just under probably 400 people on long-term care services and supports” in Clatsop County receiving in-home care or facility services. She said applications are accepted by phone, online or in person and that referrals commonly come from hospitals, social workers, word-of-mouth and partner agencies.

On volunteer counseling and staff capacity, Bjarnsen said Northwest Senior and Disability Services does not currently have local SHIBA volunteers but that Kim Combs, the county community program supervisor, and regional counselors can provide assistance by phone or Zoom during busy periods.

Meals on Wheels and SNAP

Bjarnsen described three meal sites in the county (Astoria/Swenson, Warrenton and Seaside) and said the agency has partnered with Meals on Wheels Northwest to provide home-delivered meals on varying delivery schedules. Asked whether federal funding cuts would affect the local Meals on Wheels operations, she said, “At the moment, we’re not being affected. Everything is business as usual,” and that agency leadership had not flagged immediate concerns.

Other programs

Bjarnsen noted the agency also provides Older Americans Act programs, caregiver supports, chronic-condition education (for example, fall-prevention and diabetes management) and options counseling to help residents plan for future needs without prematurely spending down assets.

What remains unclear or to follow up

Bjarnsen said she did not have SNAP enrollment counts for Clatsop County available at the meeting but offered to supply those figures later. She also said the ADRC referral line routes callers to the appropriate local office and that adult protective services investigations are managed from the county office.

Ending

Bjarnsen invited follow-up questions and noted the agency’s willingness to provide more enrollment and SNAP-related figures to the advisory group.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Clatsop County 05/01/2025 Human Services Advisory Council Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Suzanne Bjarnsen, program manager for Northwest Senior and Disability Services, told the Clatsop County advisory group that her agency is the local Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) and serves five Oregon counties, including Clatsop.","taxTitle","Clatsop County, Oregon","taxId",55348,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6492873,"Clatsop County public-health staff present draft health equity plan; members press for homelessness, mental-health and provider access to be addressed",1718,1647000,3365000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5809626-b9d909066c4d954e7460462c516d74e8&start=1647&end=3365","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5809626-b9d909066c4d954e7460462c516d74e8/thumbnail_1647000.jpg","/articles/6492873/Clatsop-County/Oregon/Clatsop-County-public-health-staff-present-draft-health-equity-plan-members-press-for-homelessness-mental-health-and-provider-access-to-be-addressed","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6492873-950b336539541be0df4c37cfdc159f66/orig.mp4?Expires=1770498205&Signature=Sepj4HBp2GyIBSIdbOUqw5xc3op25BhRULdCmkWUryxSpZmJPLuueCm-xXqLs9bbsGNOECdj2Scsk1WWmN47J-tWeBagGaSbPBcBVGIxR888cTTv35U1bvzjavEE703njwJHjB43Gc4ydRK2oM~nehiXmPyrWHHsTXnXfUH0RXd3BeQnQ5q0JFRRb5aHSzqiOGRygom3tSwnuKgt6f0b4GCp-NhnypQ7FcJwOT2AKiHCAbC0oWjmSnzDVhbI8ebN7dmeM1Vs~PVrZf6e5V45i0OA5rsHNVLc8MKQIHmKK2CwLZLHSf4RZ072LpSMXMNL5g6RDlICutZ7bxQ0n4sPBw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jill Quackenbush of Clatsop County Public Health presented a draft health equity plan to the county’s advisory group, saying the plan implements findings from a 2021 regional health equity assessment and responds to the Oregon Health Authority’s public-health modernization requirements.

Quackenbush said the county’s draft priorities are family support and childcare, youth substance use and building the health department’s internal capacity for culturally responsive, community-engaged work. “The next step is to complete for Clatsop County to complete the required health equity plan, which is essentially playing that assessment into action,” she said.

Why it matters: The health equity plan will guide the county’s public-health priorities and funding under the state modernization framework and is due to the Oregon Health Authority on June 30. The plan could shape how the county addresses upstream factors — childcare, prevention and department practices — that affect health across communities.

Plan background and timeline

Quackenbush described public-health modernization as an Oregon Health Authority (OHA) program that set foundational public-health services and capabilities. She said the county received OHA funding to implement the modernization framework and contracted Reed Group to help develop the equity plan.

The planning roadmap presented begins with initiation and data collection in early 2025, followed by community outreach, prioritization and a final plan due to the state by June 30; Quackenbush said staff plan to brief the county commissioners in early June.

Community concerns raised during the discussion

Advisory members asked why homelessness and adult mental-health and substance-use issues were not among the top three priorities. Linda Winstanley said those problems are “a huge county public-health issue.” Quackenbush responded that homelessness and adult behavioral-health issues appeared in the 2021 assessment but were not listed as a top priority because there are already community efforts and partner momentum on those topics; she said the health equity plan narrows focus to areas where the department can add distinct value.

Commissioner Thompson said the county receives frequent complaints from neighbors about large encampments and people in vans and tents and said those situations create acute concerns for rural neighborhoods. “Some of the most problematic issues for neighbors are when there’s a … gathering of people in vans and tents,” she said.

Julia Weinberg, speaking as a private mental-health provider, said private clinicians and some clients face long waits or no callbacks from Clatsop Behavioral Health (CBH). Weinberg said she has referred youths for substance-use counseling and encountered a lack of specialized providers for adolescents.

CBH capacity and access

Quackenbush and other staff acknowledged coordination challenges with behavioral-health capacity. A CBH representative noted in the meeting chat that CBH “tracks all our engagement calls” and that CBH operates drop-in clinics in Seaside and Astoria Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Advisory members urged clearer referral pathways so people seeking care are not left without response.

Priorities explained

Quackenbush said family support and childcare were prioritized because childcare access is a foundational social determinant of health that affects low-income and rural households. Youth substance use was flagged as an emerging issue with active community and school-based efforts. The third priority — building Clatsop County Public Health’s ability to do culturally responsive community engagement — includes improving linguistic access, community listening sessions and accountability mechanisms.

Next steps and how to provide input

Quackenbush asked advisory members for feedback on whether the priorities reflect community needs and invited suggestions on public-health roles and meaningful engagement strategies. She said the draft plan will be refined with ongoing outreach and reported back to the board of county commissioners in early June before the state deadline.

Ending

Advisory members asked that the plan reflect concerns about homelessness and adult behavioral health and requested clearer coordination between CBH and other providers. Quackenbush said the department will incorporate community input and return with updates.

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The advisory group approved the meeting agenda and the April 3 meeting minutes during the opening portion of the meeting. The transcript records a motion to approve the agenda, a second, and the chair’s announcement that the motion passed. Later the April 3 minutes were moved, seconded and approved.

What is recorded and what is not

The transcript does not identify the individuals who made the motions by name nor does it record a roll-call vote tally; meeting participants indicated a motion and a second and the chair announced that each motion “has passed.” The advisory group moved on to the next agenda items after each approval.

Ending

No additional action or details were recorded for these procedural approvals in the transcript.

","At the start of the meeting the advisory group moved and approved the meeting agenda and the April 3 minutes. Specific movers and vote tallies were not recorded in the transcript; both motions passed.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Northwest Senior and Disability Services outlines local Medicaid, SNAP and senior-support programs to Clatsop County advisory group

Clatsop County public-health staff present draft health equity plan; members press for homelessness, mental-health and provider access to be addressed

Advisory group approves meeting agenda and April 3 minutes