Building a Culture of Caring

As one of the state’s most innovative community-centered campuses, Cascadia’s new Garlington Health Center provides integrated healthcare – mental health, addiction treatment, primary care, and wellness services – all in one location to support a person’s whole health needs.

Our new campus is also home to Garlington Place, a 52-unit affordable housing apartment building providing Cascadia clients, veterans and displaced N/NE Portland community members’ access to affordable housing in NE Portland.

Watch Our 2018 Capital Campaign Video

We believe the keys to helping people achieve improved health and well-being are to provide access to whole health care and safe, permanent housing. To support our goal to establish the new Garlington Health Center, we launched Building a Culture of Caring, Cascadia’s $3.5 million community giving campaign.

Join our campaign with your gift today.

To speak to someone about making a gift, learn about upcoming events, or join us on a tour in support of our capital campaign, please call or email us today.

We would love to hear from you!

Lauren Macbeth
(503) 963.7645
Lauren.Macbeth@Cascadiabhc.org

Campaign Case Statement for Philanthropy

We believe that caring for the whole person is caring for the whole community.

“At Cascadia, we know that mental and physical health go hand-in-hand, and when mental health is addressed as a facet of a person’s entire wellbeing, we more often see lasting improvements in that person’s ability to thrive.”

– Derald Walker, Ph.D., CEO

Mental health and addiction challenges can impact lives in many ways and expanding care to address physical health alongside a person’s behavioral health issues contributes to improved health outcomes. Improving access to safe, permanent housing is also a key to improving our client’s health outcomes which helps to heal, recover and regain independence.

Since 1981, Cascadia has served as a leading community health and housing safety net provider – serving our community’s most vulnerable members. We have long been at the forefront of providing personalized, compassionate care to more than 16,000 Oregonians of all ages each year throughout 5 counties; we operate 4 health centers (3 in Portland and 1 in Clackamas) and manage more than 700 housing units for our clients and their families.

Innovative models of care bridge health, housing and wellness in one location.

Architectural designed from the ground up to deliver integrated healthcare, the Garlington Health Center will serve as a regional model that treats each client holistically, leading to improved mental and physical health, lower catastrophic care costs, and reduced stigma surrounding mental health. We believe that mental and physical health are inextricably linked, and treating one without acknowledging the other is less effective than a holistic approach.

The new Center will also provide onsite retail pharmacy, wellness programs, classroom and community meeting spaces, exercise room, resource library, nutrition program, a kitchen, and a garden that will help promote healthy living. Our wellness programs are community-based and are a supportive resource, helping to bring our clients into more social settings and engage them in our other services such as supported employment and housing outreach services.

Our new integrated model of care and housing will reduce the financial and resource burden on area hospitals and emergency facilities; and increase healthcare cost savings. Our new campus will have economic benefits in the community as we partner with peer health agencies, nonprofit organizations and area businesses.

Cascadia is a Certified Community Behavioral Health Center

In early 2017, Cascadia received federal designation as a Certified Community Behavioral Health Center to measure the benefits of expanding the integration of mental health, substance use, primary care and supported wellness activities. For example, people who have chronic mental health issues often receive less primary care attention than the general population. When they do see a primary care provider, they may present in more advanced stages of physical illness. Thus, integrated healthcare will bring enhanced and increased health services to our clients, providing primary care to better support, diagnose and improve our clients’ health outcomes.

Building a Culture of Caring

At the heart of Cascadia are people – the tens of thousands of individuals we serve, our neighbors, donors, healthcare partners, social workers, counselors, advocates, nurses, doctors, volunteers, and co-workers. Together, we build a Culture of Caring and a unique environment for creating hope; one that is innovative in spirit committed to diversity and grounded in compassion.

We consult, collaborate and partner with hospitals, urgent/crisis service providers, shelters, group homes, healthcare providers, schools, agencies, local municipalities, neighborhood associations, foundations, donors and other health and human service organizations to ensure that our care is accessible and supportive. It is out of this shared Culture of Caring that we come together to improve the quality of health for all Oregonians.

The Garlington Campus History

The Garlington Center, as it is known today, was dedicated in honor of the late Rev. Dr. John W. Garlington Jr and his wife, Yvonne Garlington, who together had established a compassionate voice for Portland’s African American population within the social services community. Dr. Garlington was a leader for social justice in the areas of education, employment, police-community relations and ministries to individuals and families experiencing poverty, hunger and homelessness. The Garlingtons’ died in a tragic car accident while traveling in Florida in 1986. In honor of their remarkable contributions to the people of Portland, Cascadia moved to permanently rename the Center in 2006 to recognize Dr. and Mrs. John Garlington’s legacy.

Learn about Reverend Dr. John W. Garlington Jr and Mrs. Yvonne Garlington here. 

Historic Property Donation

The visionary support of Howard and Jane Glazer with their $1 million property donation launched Cascadia’s Building a Culture of Caring philanthropic campaign in 2016 to establish a new model of integrated healthcare. The Glazers were early supporters of Cascadia’s plans to establish a cornerstone center for health and wellness.

Your support has an immediate impact on our capital campaign efforts to open the new Garlington Health Center.