Oregon lawmakers are considering a bill that would create three peer respite centers across the state. The centers are homelike facilities where people who are experiencing mental health crises can go, and are staffed by people who have experienced mental health crises themselves. The centers are meant to be an alternative to emergency rooms or jails, where many people in crisis currently end up.
Fourteen other states already have peer respite centers. The Rose Houses, run by People USA, are centers in New York. We talk with Steve Miccio, the CEO of People USA.
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