The Oregon Judicial Department is committed to developing effective, supportive, and creative solutions to respond to the legal needs of people who are underserved, vulnerable, or marginalized. This commitment includes statewide efforts to examine how to best meet the needs of Oregonians with mental and behavioral health challenges and to develop best practices for courts to use in cases where those challenges must be addressed.
The Chief Justice's Behavioral Health Advisory Committee (BHAC) was established in 2019 to better serve court users with behavioral health issues. BHAC is charged with developing and helping to implement best practices for courts “to efficiently, effectively, and humanely serve individuals who present with behavioral health challenges,” as well as providing direction to the Oregon Judicial Department (OJD) on legislation regarding behavioral health issues.
For more information about BHAC or the intersection of the judicial system and behavioral health, contact Senior Assistant Attorney General Debra Maryanov,
debra.c.maryanov@ojd.state.or.us.