July 20, 2026 3:20 a.m. 

The Douglas Education Service District has been selected for a Catalyst Award through the Oregon Heath Authority’s Rural Health Transformation Program. That is a federally funded effort to strengthen health care in rural Oregon. The district is eligible for up to $637,936. It is one of 103 Catalyst Award projects funded across Oregon.

The ESD release said across rural Douglas County, families often face long distances and wait times to reach behavioral health care. The program, called the Integrated School-Based Behavioral Health Continuum of Care, will fund a coordinated countywide referral system, an assessment of behavioral health needs across the county’s schools, and support for mental health providers to reach rural communities where care is hardest to get. The goal is to make school-based behavioral health support available to districts across the county and connect students to care sooner.

Douglas ESD Behavioral Health Services Coordinator Tiana Oaks said, “Many of the students and families we serve in rural Douglas County face real barriers to timely care, including distance and wait times”.

The release said with the award in place, Douglas ESD will begin putting the program into action over the coming months, working with local school districts and mental health providers. More details will be shared as the work moves forward.