Community Support Services Can Help With:

Housing & Shelter Support
  • Assistance locating housing or shelter
  • Help accessing Housing programs
Daily Living Skills
  • Learning and practicing activities of daily living (e.g., hygiene, money management, budgeting, laundry, grocery shopping)
Employment & Education
  • Supported employment services
  • Skill-building in natural settings
  • Training and linkage to vocational programs
Health & Wellness
  • Education on psychiatric diagnoses and treatment options
  • Medication monitoring
  • Assistance linking to counseling, skill-building groups, and psychiatric care
Advocacy & Benefits
  • Support and advocacy
  • Assistance with public entitlements (e.g., Social Security, Medicaid)
Family & Peer Support
  • Family intervention, support, and education
  • Peer-delivered services
Intensive Support
  • Intensive case management
  • Connection to community resources

Assertive Community Treatment Program

The Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) program helps people with severe mental illness live successfully in the community. Our team provides intensive support and treatment to help individuals reach their recovery goals.

What is ACT?

ACT is an evidence-based program that brings mental health care to you—where you live, work, and spend time. Instead of office visits, ACT provides support in the community to help with:

  • Medication management
  • Daily living skills
  • Housing support and case management
  • Employment and education goals
  • Crisis prevention
  • Mental Health and Substance Use Counseling

Who is eligible for ACT?

ACT is designed for individuals who experience challenges in several of the following areas:

  • Completing daily living tasks without support
  • Maintaining stable housing or employment
  • Frequent use of hospital or crisis services
  • Limited success with traditional outpatient mental health services
  • Experiencing houselessness or being at risk of houselessness

Why ACT matters:

ACT reduces hospital stays, improves housing stability, and helps people live more independently.

Early Assessment and Support Alliance

Early Assessment and Support Alliance (EASA) helps young people who are showing early signs of psychosis. Our goal is to identify symptoms early and provide the right support so they can succeed in school, work, and life. Services are available regardless of ability to pay.

Who We Serve

Youth and young adults ages 12–30 who may be experiencing early signs of psychosis. EASA is a transitional program—most people participate for about two years, but this varies based on individual needs.

What is psychosis?

Psychosis is a brain condition that makes it hard to know what is real and what is not. About 3 in 100 people will experience psychosis, usually between ages 15 and 25.

Early symptoms can include: 

  • Trouble organizing thoughts or remembering things
  • Feeling overwhelmed by sounds, sights, or smells
  • Difficulty focusing or filtering out distractions

Later symptoms may include:

  • Seeing or hearing things others don’t (hallucinations)
  • Strong, unusual beliefs that don’t make sense (delusions)
  • Changes in speech, emotions, or movement

Why Early Intervention Matters

Getting help early can make a big difference. Research shows that early treatment greatly improves recovery outcomes. EASA programs help reduce symptoms, support success in school and work, and strengthen family connections.

Warning signs to watch for:

  • Hearing voices or seeing things others don’t
  • Acting in ways that don’t make sense or seem fearful
  • Withdrawing from friends and family
  • Significant changes in school or work performance

Interested in EASA?

If you or someone you know may be experiencing early signs of psychosis, reach out today to learn more about the EASA program. Early support can make all the difference.

Legal System Diversion & Support

Our Legal System Diversion and Support programs help people whose behavioral health conditions contribute to their involvement with the justice system. We work closely with law enforcement, courts, and community partners to provide alternatives to incarceration and connect individuals to treatment and recovery services.

What We Do

Jail Diversion

Connecting individuals to mental health care and community resources

Aid & Assist

Evaluation and treatment for individuals with severe mental illness who need help understanding and participating in legal proceedings, as ordered by the court

Treatment Court Collaboration

Partnering with all treatment courts in Hood River and Wasco Counties to support recovery, as ordered by courts

Program Goals:

  • Reduce the number of people involved in the legal system by engaging them in needed mental health care
  • Lower arrests and legal system involvement for people whose mental illness contributes to their justice involvement
  • Connect people to resources like housing, food, employment, and treatment
  • Create pathways to treatment and recovery for people with behavioral health conditions

Supported Employment

Supported Employment helps people with mental health challenges find and keep jobs they choose. We use a proven approach called Individual Placement and Support (IPS).
This means we focus on your goals and help you work in regular jobs in the community.
If you want to work, we can help! Our team will support you every step of the way—from looking for a job to keeping it.

Individual Placement and Support

IPS helps people with mental health conditions find and keep jobs they choose. It follows eight key principles:

  • Open to all – Anyone who wants to work can participate.
  • Competitive jobs – Focus on regular jobs in the community.
  • Integrated services – Employment support works closely with mental health care.
  • Benefits planning – Help understanding Social Security and other benefits.
  • Rapid job search – Job hunting starts quickly, not after long training.
  • Employer outreach – Specialists connect with businesses to learn their needs.
  • Continuous support – Help continues as long as you want it.
  • Your preferences matter – Jobs match your interests and goals.

Rapid Job Search

We start your job search quickly—right after we create your career profile. Once you find a job, our employment specialists provide personalized, ongoing support for as long as you need.
Did you know? People who use IPS are 2–3 times more likely to get a job.

No Cost to participating employers or participants

Supported Employment services are free for participants and employers. Businesses that partner with us may also qualify for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit.

For more details, visit our partners:
OSECE and IPS Works.

Housing Supports

Housing Access and Support Program

We partner with Mid-Columbia Housing Authority (MCHA) to help people find and keep safe, stable housing. The Housing Access and Support (HAS) program is for people with serious mental illness who have very low or low income and meet one of these priorities:

  • Moving out of the Oregon State Hospital
  • Moving out of a licensed residential setting
  • At risk of going back into a hospital or residential setting
  • Experiencing homelessness or at risk of houselessness

How it works:

  • Applications come through referrals from social service providers. Approved individuals are added to a waitlist.
  • Our HAS team works side-by-side with each person to find housing and keep it stable.
  • We visit monthly (or more if needed) to make sure the home is safe and basic needs are met.
  • Rent and utilities are covered through a shared payment model: tenants pay part of their income, and HAS helps with the rest.
  • We can also provide one-time help for things like deposits, application fees, or past-due bills.

HAS Program FAQs

  • Go to all scheduled appointments and stay in touch with your HAS team.
  • Be honest on applications and ask questions if you’re unsure.
  • Once housed, keep your home in good condition and follow your lease.
  • Tell HAS if your income or family size changes, or if you plan to move.
  • Only let people listed on your lease live in your home.
  • Allow inspections and monthly visits from the HAS team.

Yes! HAS is short-term help. Everyone in the program must apply for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) waitlist. If you don’t qualify for HCV, you can stay on HAS.

Your rental must pass a safety inspection and meet rent guidelines. You can look for apartments, duplexes, houses, or rooms, but some restrictions apply.

There is no set timeline. Everyone’s situation is different. Working closely with your HAS team helps speed things up. HAS cannot look for housing without your involvement.

There is no set time for the waitlist. We do our best to help people as quickly as possible.

Transitional Housing at the Annex

We partner with Mid-Columbia Community Action Council (MCACC) to offer short-term housing at the Annex. This program is for people with severe mental illnesses who need a safe place to stay while they work toward permanent housing.  

What we provide:

  • A safe, supportive environment for individuals to stabilize
  • Help connecting to long-term housing options
  • Support services to build skills and prepare for independent living

The Annex is more than a place to stay—it’s a stepping stone to a stable future.

Intensive Case Management

Intensive Case Management (ICM) is a voluntary program for people with severe and persistent mental health challenges. It’s designed for individuals whose symptoms make it hard to meet basic needs, manage medications, keep appointments, or connect to services. These challenges often affect housing, relationships, employment, and overall stability.

Who is it for?
ICM is a clinician-referred service for clients who need more support than traditional case management but less than Assertive Community Treatment (ACT).

Our Goals:

  • Reduce hospitalizations and higher levels of care
  • Support safe, stable housing
  • Improve medication management
  • Increase education and employment opportunities
  • Promote recovery and self-sufficiency
  • Reduce criminal justice involvement

What We Offer:

  • Skills training for daily living
  • Recovery-focused support
  • Help connecting to community resources
  • Education for individuals and families about mental health and treatment
  • Support for social engagement and community integration
  • Monitoring treatment progress
  • Advocacy and coordination with other agencies

ICM services are based on your strengths, needs, and goals. Our interdisciplinary team works together to provide integrated care.

Peer Delivered Services

Peer support means people with lived experience of mental health recovery help others on their journey. Peers offer understanding, hope, and practical support that professionals alone cannot provide.

At MCCFL, peer-delivered services are available across most of our programs, ensuring that support from someone who truly understands recovery is part of your care wherever you are.

The Cottage is the cornerstone of our peer services—a welcoming, peer-supported drop-in center for adults enrolled in mental health services. It’s a place to connect, learn, and build community. Here’s what you’ll find:

  • Peer Support & Mutual Help – Connect with others who understand recovery
  • Skill-Building Groups – Learn new skills and coping strategies
  • Social Activities & Outings – Join community trips and events chosen by participants
  • Daily Lunch, Laundry & Showers – Basic needs met in a supportive space
  • Community & Advocacy – Build friendships, share ideas, and have a voice

Our mission is to empower people through self-determination and mutual support. Peers help others discover new strengths, take on new roles, and think differently about their future—because peer support is part of recovery.

Hours:

  • Hood River: Mondays & Fridays, 9 AM–2 PM

  • The Dalles: Tuesday–Thursday, 9 AM–2 PM

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