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Strategic Plan 2023-2026

Central City Concern’s 2023-2026 Strategic Plan outlines our measurable goals and strategies and what it will take to end homelessness. First, we’re meeting people where they are. Second, we’re identifying and working to close key service gaps in our region. And we’re tackling the root causes of homelessness.  

CCC has been a trusted partner for over 40 years in our community, and we know there are a lot of complex factors contributing to our homelessness crisis. While we cannot solve this issue alone, CCC is partnering in new ways to implement real solutions as our region needs scaled solutions. CCC can provide some but not all of the needed capacity to recover our community. Therefore, we’ll be working to ensure the right folks are collaborating in the right ways so we can truly create meaningful change. 

Together, let’s end homelessness and ensure a healthier, more equitable and more resilient future for all Oregonians. 

Homelessness is a complex but solvable challenge.

We know homelessness is inflicting great harm on individuals, families and our communities. There are a lot of causes of homelessness that are hard to understand in Oregon. Here at CCC, we face them all.

Read the Full Plan

Year One Project Updates

Check back for up to date information on this year’s programs to support the 2023-2026 Strategic Plan.

1. Meet People Where They Are

People experiencing homelessness are constantly on the move, which can make traditional location-based service delivery challenging. CCC’s service and partnership models will evolve to serve people in more diverse settings and locations.

Mobile Health maroon arrow pointing right

CCC is piloting street-based medicine and mobile medical primary care during 2024 and 2025.

In 2023, CCC launched our Mobile Health Program to move the front door of traditional health care, making it easier to offer services in a mobile setting. CCC now offers a range of expanded primary care which includes behavioral health care, improving access to services and housing resources. Our partner, Medical Teams International, is offering dental services.

In 2024, our two large, custom-made vans arrived, allowing our teams to directly provide wound care, physical exams, infectious disease screening, vaccinations, and medications.

Mobile Hepatitis C Support maroon arrow pointing right

CCC is extending its nationally recognized hepatitis C program by enabling mobile engagement and transportation.

Planning is underway.

Homeless Advanced Outreach and Response Team maroon arrow pointing right

CCC is pursuing a response-based service for CCC’s services in Old Town.

In 2024, CCC launched the HEART Program (Homeless Enhanced Outreach and Response Team) a team of street-based outreach providers offering transitional services to people experiencing homelessness, mental health, substance use disorders, physical health and other co-occurring conditions, focused on serving people in Portland’s Old Town/Chinatown neighborhood and nearby downtown blocks, including the area around Hooper Detox and Unity Center for Behavioral Health.

2. Support Connected and Equitable Care

It’s difficult for people to access care when they face challenges navigating systems and encounter barriers entering several services at the same time. CCC will continue to invest in “any door” navigation that improves fair and equitable access to our services and improves our clients’ care experience.

Connected CCC maroon arrow pointing right

CCC is improving our client services and generating new insights by harnessing the data and capabilities of Epic and Apricot (described below), evolving client needs assessment and strengthening referral pathways.

Epic maroon arrow pointing right

CCC is implementing Epic, an advanced electronic health record system, between 2023 and 2024 to improve client service benefits, create connections with other health care providers and improve quality outcomes.

In 2024, CCC implemented OCHIN’s Epic, an advanced electronic health record system, to improve client service benefits, create connections with other health care providers and improve quality outcomes.

Apricot maroon arrow pointing right

CCC will strengthen implementation of Apricot, our new case management system for housing and employment services.

In 2024, CCC strengthened Apricot, developed and enhanced the training and reporting infrastructure, and deployed Apricot to support new programs.

3. Close Key Care Gaps

When people experience gaps in accessing the care they need, it affects the severity and length of time they experience homelessness. By analyzing data collected from CCC, community partners and feedback from clients on their experiences, CCC will close gaps in both our agency and in our community.

Substance Use Disorder (SUDS) Residential Center maroon arrow pointing right

CCC is securing funding in 2023 for the development of a SUDS residential treatment center, which will fill a care gap occurring after clients exit our Hooper Detoxification Stabilization Center.

CCC has seen a growing need for increased residential treatment capacity in the community to support people exiting Hooper Detoxification and Stabilization Center who need an extended period of residential treatment before they can be successful in recovery-supportive housing and substance use disorder (SUD) intensive outpatient placement.

In 2023/2024, CCC partnered with the State, County, City and CareOregon to purchase a building located in SE Portland. It was a momentous collaboration to grow our system of care in a very compressed timeline, a sign of the urgency and need for this investment. Planning for a 74-bed residential treatment center is underway. Set to open in Spring, 2025, the new 16 x Burnside Recovery Center will fill a direct gap in needed treatment options in the central city.

Recuperative Care Program (RCP) maroon arrow pointing right

CCC’s RCP is relocating and increasing the number of beds available to reduce a critical strain on our health care system.

In 2024 CCC completed a major relocation of our Recuperative Care Program (RCP) to our new Evergreen Crossing building and increased the number of beds from 70 to 84. RCP provides medical recuperation services for low-income and homeless individuals who have received medical care through a hospital system, providing essential continuing and proactive support for effective recovery. In 2024, the new Evergreen Crossing Primary Care Clinic opened to treat clients in RCP.

Enhanced Medical Respite maroon arrow pointing right

In 2024, CCC is launching a new Enhanced Medical Respite service, co-locating with RCP.

Planning is underway.

Diversified Housing Portfolio maroon arrow pointing right

CCC will consider housing options that consider our changing population demographics (e.g., aging, chronically ill, workforce) balanced with sustainable housing delivery options.

CCC continues to plan for housing options that are well matched homeless population segments and needs. In 2023, CCC broke ground on new supportive housing, began expansions on existing family housing and initiated planning on future workforce housing.

As part of CCC’s 2023 Climate Action Commitment, CCC’s newest development, Meridian Gardens, is designed to be a model sustainable community. The project has the largest solar array among all our housing properties, with a 70-kW capacity generating clean, renewable energy. The community will be 100% electric with no natural gas on-site, significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and supporting CCC’s mission to address the ecological hazards of climate change. EV charging will be available on-site, as well as high-efficiency mini-split air conditioning systems to ensure client comfort.

Employment Expansion maroon arrow pointing right

CCC will grow our employment services to further meet the income and social needs of our clients.

4. Align Systems and Partners for Impact

CCC will use its experience, data and reputation to improve the way systems and partners work together through
collaboration, partnership and advocacy. We know that ending homelessness will take all of us working together
in new and innovative ways. We will intentionally pursue and support partnerships that strengthen our ability to
deepen our collective impact.

Support data-informed strategies maroon arrow pointing right

Support data-informed strategies such as a regional health claims analysis to bring multi-disciplinary partners together, encourage a shared understanding of root causes and better coordinate our efforts to meet our goals.

In 2023, CCC made intentional strides to improve the way our systems and partners are working through collaboration, partnership and advocacy. We know ending homelessness will take all of us — private and public — working together in new and innovative ways.

Our region hasn’t had a clear sense of how many people experiencing homelessness in our community are facing a particular problem, whether it’s severe pervasive mental illness, opioid use disorder, or stimulant use disorder. We also haven’t known where people are getting services — or not. And, how these populations are changing over time.

Alongside our partners Health Share of Oregon, CareOregon and Providence Center for Outcomes Research and Education, CCC is gathering concrete data about the Medicaid population in the tri-county region, 435,000 patients and many CCC clients.

1115 Waiver Housing Benefit maroon arrow pointing right

CCC is supporting a pilot of Oregon’s unique Medicaid Waiver, allowing organizations like ours to be reimbursed through Medicaid for certain housing benefits while also closing key system transition gaps in our community.

No data to report.

5. Strengthen and Sustain the Work to End Homelessness

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the underinvestment in the health care and safety-net workforce and the critical role a well-trained, supported and resilient workforce plays in delivering effective care. CCC will be a leader in supporting efforts to strengthen our community health care and supportive services workforce.

Employee Safety maroon arrow pointing right

CCC is prioritizing improved safety and security oversight through a strengthened risk management approach. Along with our safety contractor, we are installing cameras throughout our campus and evaluating an internal team-oriented approach to safety at Blackburn and OTRC.

CCC is committed to maintaining a safe and healthy environment. In 2024, we hired a new security contractor, added Behavioral Incident Response teams in our clinical settings, added Public Safety Liaisons, installed additional cameras throughout our portfolio, and strengthened our Safety and Security Team.

Tiered Safety maroon arrow pointing right

CCC launched a Tiered Safety Huddle System creating standard ways of rapidly identifying and escalating safety issues and risks across CCC.

In 2024, we launched our Tiered Safety Huddle System for client facing CCC teams. This is a new safety communication system that provides CCC teams with two structured opportunities per week to escalate any identified safety issues and risks, that they feel they cannot address themselves, to integrated leadership teams for review and action.

Behavioral Health Worker Search maroon arrow pointing right

CCC will launch a Behavioral Health Talent Academy in 2024 to attract and develop talent to fill the demand for behavioral health positions.

In 2024, we launched the BHTA, an internal training program for CCC employees focused on behavioral health career pathing. The BHTA offers employees the opportunity to obtain the following certifications:

  • Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC 1)
  • Qualified Mental Health Associate (QMHP 1)
  • Peer Support Specialist trainings and certifications: Certified Recovery Mentor (CRM) and Peer Wellness Specialist (PWS)
Housing icon Vivienda Encontrar Vivienda dark arrow pointing right Healtcare icon Cuidado de la salud Obtenga atención médica dark arrow pointing right Recovery icon Recuperación Iniciar la recuperación dark arrow pointing right Job icon Empleos Encontrar un trabajo dark arrow pointing right