The COPES Crisis Center & Health Clinic aids those trying to disentangle themselves from drug and alcohol dependence, and associated mental illness.

PENDLETON — A tiny medical clinic at 715 S.W. Dorion Ave. barely attracts a passing glance.

Words on the glass front door read “COPES Crisis Center and Health Clinic.” Smaller print decodes the acronym as “Community Outreach Prevention Engagement Services.” The waiting room inside the brick one-story structure is devoid of leather couches, fine art or ficus trees.

The clinic’s mission is short on opulence and big on heart.

The tight-knit staff focuses on one group in particular — individuals struggling to disentangle themselves from drugs or alcohol. The clinic houses a crisis stabilization unit where people can detox, and then find a way forward. Two exam rooms are located in the other part of the building.

The facility is the brainchild of the Oregon Washington Health Network, a regional health group organized six years ago by the Umatilla Indian Reservation’s Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center. The network’s membership includes Yellowhawk, St. Anthony Hospital, Good Shepherd Medical Center, Blue Mountain Community College, Eastern Oregon Recovery Center, Umatilla, Morrow and Walla Walla County public health departments, Providence St. Mary Hospital and the Morrow County Health District.

“Our purpose as an organization is to fill gaps in health care,” said Dan Peterson, manager of the health network.

One of those gaps, he said, is helping people with substance abuse and mental health issues get into treatment.

“We had community meetings and asked people to tell us what the community’s needs are,” he said. “The crisis center was number one. There was no place for folks to go.”

Peterson looked pensive. The majority of those with substance abuse issues also deal with mental illness. It’s a chicken-or-egg situation as far as which comes first. Depression paired with alcoholism. Bipolar disorder and drug addiction. The combos are endless. One condition can be worsened by the other and visa versa.

“If you only treat the mental illness, the chances of continuing to be a drug user are still very high,” Peterson said.

To Peterson’s left at the conference table, Family Nurse Practitioner Deb Frost nodded.

“A lot of times, drugs or alcohol are used by a person to self-medicate,” Frost said. “So, is the reason for drug use because of untreated mental illness or the other way around? It is intertwined.”

Peterson said the network decided to include primary care along with crisis services.

“A lot of crisis centers don’t have nurse practitioners or PAs or doctors,” Peterson said. “The community really wanted to have a provider that folks in recovery or folks on the street could see because that is such a big gap in this community. A lot of people had to wait a month to get a medical appointment and they would often relapse.”

The clinic offers medical care, wellness visits, chronic disease management, medication-assisted treatment for substance disorders, crisis care and peer support. Crisis services aren’t limited to substance abuse.

“We know there are a lot of people in crisis because of COVID … Anybody who wants to come in and get counseling and support is welcome regardless of age, income or location,” Peterson said.

The facility is funded by a three-year, $1 million grant from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration.

Originally, the network planned to open the clinic this spring. When the pandemic hit, progress stalled.

“We couldn’t get PPE,” Peterson said. “We couldn’t get supplies. It delayed our startup. We were hoping to be in here in March. We didn’t get in until July 1.”

Word is spreading further each day.

“We’re slowly but surely getting the word out,” he said. “Now that winter’s coming, our utilization has picked up dramatically.”

People in crisis come via the police, referrals from providers and walk-ins. The crisis unit can handle up to three at once. Some new arrivals need to sleep for 24 hours before they can progress to counseling. Once the fog has cleared, patients can be assessed and receive counseling from certified alcohol and drug counselors. Staff can connect them with other resources. The clinic also has peer mentors who engage with clients during stays, which range from 24 to 48 hours.

To continue with treatment, patients must show they are serious about recovery.

“Our resources are limited,” Peterson said. “We want to help as many as we can, so people must be serious about recovery. There’s so much need out there.”

The clinic is already feeling a little cramped.

“We knew once we got in it, we’d eventually outgrow it,” Peterson said. “It’s happening a lot faster than we had thought.”