Chris Siegner and Ashley Vanderdasson attended the March 8 meeting of the Harney County Court to provide an update regarding Symmetry Care Inc.

Siegner is the director of Symmetry Care, and Vanderdasson is Symmetry Care’s nurse practitioner.

They reported that Symmetry Care was recently designated as a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC).

Vanderdasson defined a CCBHC as “a mental health clinic that also has primary care services available.”

She said, “That doesn’t mean we’re opening up our own competitive primary care clinic. It means that we’re basically able to provide those services to the clients that are at Symmetry Care.”

“It’s a more complete service than we’ve had before,” Siegner said, adding that, when clients walk into Symmetry Care, they receive a wellness screening that assesses their overall health.

For example, Vanderdasson said clients’ blood pressures are now being measured at mental health visits.

“We’ve identified a handful of people who’s blood pressures have been elevated, very elevated, stroke-level elevated,” she said. “Previously, we may have thought, ‘Well, they’re not feeling well because they’re depressed or they have these things going on.’ But, in reality, we may need to address their blood pressure before we start getting into mental health.”

Siegner said physical conditions (such as high blood pressure) can effect a person’s mood and functioning. With the addition of wellness screenings, mental health clinicians can now consider how a client’s physical health may be impacting his/her mental health.

Symmetry Care’s staff includes Vanderdasson, Emily Johnson (who is a registered nurse), and two community health workers.

Vanderdasson is also becoming the primary care provider for Independence Place, which is Symmetry Care’s 10-bed residential program.

Johnson works with the local hospital and clinic to create a plan for Symmetry Care’s clients.

“Emily is communicating with a lot of our clients’ primary care providers as to what medications they’re on, how they’re doing, [and whether] they are doing well physically as well as mentally,” Vanderdasson explained.

The role of the community health workers is to advocate for clients/patients. Some duties include helping them with their appointments, helping them understand their medications, and providing wellness classes.

Vanderdasson said one of Symmetry Care’s community health workers is also a part-time prevention specialist who works in the schools to provide alcohol, drug and tobacco prevention services.

She added that Symmetry Care is also providing education to decrease the stigma regarding mental health, working with the Local Community Advisory Committee, and planning to provide adolescent and well child exams in the schools.

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Kimberly Lindsay and Sharon Kuehn of Community Counseling Solutions attended the meeting to discuss state public health issues, including modernization, legislation and funding.

Jolene Cawlfield was hired as the new director of Harney County Public Health. She will begin April 17.

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Cooperative Weed Management Area (CWMA) Coordinator Steph Bonson provided a PowerPoint presentation regarding CWMA’s activities in 2016.

Bonson explained that CWMA is a nonprofit group made up of agencies in Harney County that have a vested interest in noxious weed control and management. It is its own separate entity and not a county program.

During her presentation, Bonson reported that she and Harney County Weed Control Coordinator Jim Campbell each submitted an Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) grant for CWMA projects and attended the grant review process in Salem.

“In the end, our grants were not approved as they were written, but they were recommended for resubmission with a different scope,” Bonson said.

She also reported that the Miller Canyon seeding project took place in Riley in March of 2016.

“Our local aerial applicator, Nick Schott, seeded 650 acres for two private landowners,” Bonson said, adding that seeding on this project will resume this month.

In spring of 2016, Bonson and Campbell sprayed county roads and power line rights of way in various locations throughout Harney County. Bonson also did some weed treatments with Lesley Richman of the Burns Bureau of Land Management (BLM), including spraying near Drewsey.

In April of 2016, Bonson, Richman and Campbell planned and hosted an educational tour for students from the University of Idaho.

Members of the CWMA also cleaned and repaired the weed wagon, which is used for public education outreach programs. The CWMA also had information tables at various events.

In June of 2016, Bonson and Richman helped with the release of gall midges, which are small insects used for controlling Russian knapweed.

Additionally, Bonson took part in an aerial survey of the 2015 treatments and mapped areas that need to be retreated.

The BLM Medusahead spray project began in Riley in August 2016, and 40,168 acres were treated.

Next, the state land project began in the Beaver Tables area, which was followed by private landowner spray projects.

The CWMA treated 9,209 total acres, which is an increase from 2015.

Paul McAlvain of Pauly’s Helicopter Services LLC was the CWMA helicopter applicator, and he treated 6,103 acres of Medusahead for eight different private landowners.

A total of 49,377 acres of Medusahead were treated by all the applicators, including 40,168 for the BLM, 5,413 for Natural Resources Conservation Service, 3,096 for state lands, and 700 private acres.

Bonson reported that the CWMA brought in a total of $40,496.62 in 2016 through a combination of agreements, grants and private funds. At the end of the year, the balance forward totaled $29,421.07, with CWMA project expenses totaling $28,027.30.

Bonson said she will return to Salem to support an OWEB grant application for 2017.

“We at Harney County CWMA and its partners are working together with the goal of educating the public about weed management as well as limiting the spread of Medusahead and other noxious weeds, while encouraging growth of desirable vegetation,” she concluded.

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Harney County Watershed Council Coordinator Karen Moon attended the meeting to provide an update and recommend board appointments.

Upon Moon’s recommendation, Joe Witzel was appointed to fill the Harney Malheur Lakes Sub-basin Landowner position, and Raven Wing was appointed to the Alvord Lakes Sub-basin Landowner position.

Additionally, Fred Otley (Donner und Blitzen Sub-basin), Dustin Johnson (education), and Brenda Smith (concerned citizen for Burns and Hines) were reappointed to three-year terms on the board.

Harney County Commissioner Mark Owens was moved from the Concerned Citizen At Large position to the County Court position.

Several positions (including the Concerned Citizen At Large position that was left vacant by Owens) remain open, and the council is working to fill them.

•••

In other business, the court:

• was addressed by Herb Vloedman during the public comment period regarding the upcoming closure of King’s Variety Store.

He asked whether Harney County Economic Development (HCED) is recruiting an entity to replace the store.

Runnels replied that HCED Director Randy Fulton was “on it immediately,”explaining that he began making contacts the day of the announcement;

• appointed James E. Campbell to the Harney County Weed Board;

• approved a court order in the matter of appointing John Lamborn as justice of the peace pro tempore for Harney County Justice Court for the 2017 calendar year;

• reviewed water use requests;

• approved Resolution 2017-03 in the matter of designating the county judge, treasurer and clerk as contact people for county Visa credit card matters;

• received a report from Owens and Harney County Judge Pete Runnels regarding their recent trip to Washington, D.C. to attend the National Association of Counties Conference;

• accepted a bid from McCallum Rock Drilling for drilling and shooting;

• reappointed Terri Hellbusch to the Harney County Budget Board;

• will hold a work session with the BLM Wednesday, March 15 from 5-7 p.m. at the Harney County Courthouse;

• will hold a public hearing Wednesday, March 22 from 5-7 p.m. at the Drewsey School.

The next county court meeting will be held Wednesday, March 22 at 1 p.m. at the courthouse.