O2SL & QRT National and Cordata delivered a Situation Table Training to 38 Linn County, Oregon attendees earlier this month. (Photo courtesy Operation 2 Save Lives & QRT National and Cordata)
ALBANY, Oregon — Operation 2 Save Lives (O2SL) & QRT National and Cordata recently delivered a two-day Situation Table Training session for Linn County, Oregon.
On Nov. 6 and 7, 38 attendees representing 22 agencies were trained at the Albany Police Department in Oregon on the Situation Table model, a strategy that facilitates multi-agency interventions for those at risk of experiencing a crisis. On Tuesday, Nov. 19, the county will launch Situation Table meetings.
O2SL & QRT National and Cordata Senior Community Engagement Specialist Michael Botieri, Law Enforcement Executive Walter Sweeney, and Community Engagement Specialist Dan Cortez of the Chelsea Police Department in Massachusetts delivered the training at the Albany Police Department.
The participants who attended the training came from numerous partner agencies, including the City of Albany Police and Fire Departments, Samaritan Treatment & Recovery, Linn County Development Disabilities, Linn County District Attorney’s Office, IHC Clinic, CHANCE Recovery, Community Outreach Inc., Samaritan Health Organization, Emergence, Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital (SLCH) Emergency Department, Family Tree Release Nursery, Oregon Cascades West Council, Santiam Hospital, Family Assistance & Recovery Center (FAC), Samaritan Health Services, Linn County Mental Health, Linn County Alcohol & Drug, Linn County Mental Health, Linn County Mental Health Mobile Crisis, Benton County Sheriff’s Office, Benton County Juvenile Department, and Corvallis Police Department.
The training focused on equipping the attending agencies with the skills and lessons necessary to mobilize and launch their Situation Table. A Situation Table is a unique, risk-based rapid triage model that brings together multiple human service providers to address situations where individuals and families face a specific Acutely Elevated Risk (AER) threshold. Situation tables comprise representatives from public safety agencies, public health agencies, service providers, and other community partners.
“There was a wide variety of agencies represented at the Linn County training, which allowed for many unique perspectives, and we look forward to seeing them launch their Situation Table meetings,” Law Enforcement Executive Sweeney said.
O2SL and QRT National and Cordata thank the local community organizers, including Albany Police Chief Marcia Harnden, for their hospitality during the training and assistance with scheduling and preparation.
Through the model, an individual or family at AER can refer to the Situation Table to consider possible outreach and engagement before a crisis occurs. The table participants will collaborate and discuss the identified risk factors and potential services. When a consensus is reached, the table will identify a team of agencies to help locate the individual or family and connect them to services.
The attendees in Linn County, Oregon, described their training experience as hopeful, exciting, encouraging, engaging, inspiring, optimistic, and impactful.
“We appreciate the attentiveness of the participants and their strong engagement in our two-day Situation Table training,” Senior Community Engagement Specialist Botieri said. “We enjoy working with so many different groups and agencies with various viewpoints and look forward to seeing how Linn County implements this in their community.”
The Situation Table model was developed in Canada by Global Network for Community Safety (Global Network), a Canadian-based firm that focuses on innovations to improve community safety and wellbeing across Canada and in the U.S. Through the O2SL & QRT National and Cordata — Global Network partnership, the organizations work cross-border to collectively provide multi-agency community responses to address issues of marginalization, for pre-crisis identification and crisis interventions, while creating pathways to care and support. Their combined expertise and suite of services — based on internationally recognized best past practices — help provide communities with tailored responses to meet their current needs and the ability to rapidly adjust to an evolving landscape of risk factors, including those around substance use disorders, mental health disorders, and related social health issues.
More than 150 Situation Tables have been launched throughout Canada and the United States.
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O2SL & QRT National and Cordata Senior Community Engagement Specialist Michael Botieri leads an exercise during the Situation Table Training session for Linn County, Oregon. (Photo courtesy Operation 2 Save Lives & QRT National and Cordata)
O2SL & QRT National and Cordata Community Engagement Specialist Dan Cortez leads an exercise during the Situation Table Training session for Linn County, Oregon. (Photo courtesy Operation 2 Save Lives & QRT National and Cordata)
Law Enforcement Executive Walter L. Sweeney Jr. leads an exercise during the Situation Table Training session for Linn County, Oregon. (Photo courtesy Operation 2 Save Lives & QRT National and Cordata)