A study led by OHSU confirmed that nearly one in eight Oregon children visiting ERs during mental health crises are held for three days or more. Among Medicaid-enrolled youth, more than one in ten are held three to seven days — providing no therapeutic benefit.

At Doernbecher Children's Hospital, psychiatric consultations tripled from 150 to 453. Oregon has the fewest psychiatric beds per capita nationally. Licensed residential facilities dropped from 90 (2014) to 53 (2024), per state data via Lund Report.

The crisis reflects decades of underfunding. Boarding ties up ERs, delays other patients, burns out staff, and traumatizes children. For rural and eastern Oregon — zero youth psychiatric beds east of the Cascades — children may be transported hours from home.

Watch for: The $3.1 million appropriation for a 15-bed Redmond youth psychiatric facility, targeted for fall 2026 — the first capacity east of the Cascades. The OHSU study increases pressure for broader expansion in the 2027 session.