Washington County COVID-19 Response and Recovery Community Newsletter |
|
Oregon lifts mask mandate |
|
You are no longer required to wear a mask in most indoor settings. There are exceptions, including healthcare settings and on public transit. The state lifted the indoor mask mandate at midnight on March 12 because cases and hospitalizations were dropping.
The state is recommending that people who are at high risk of COVID complications continue to wear masks. This includes people who are:
- unvaccinated
- immunocompromised
- at high risk of hospitalizations because of underlying condition or 65 or older
- living with people at high risk
If you have questions about your own risk, read this OHA blog. You can also find links and more information on our face coverings page.
|
|
Businesses, schools and community organizations can still require masks, and many people will still choose to wear a mask to protect themselves and others who may be at high risk for severe disease.
Whether you are requiring masks or want to give people the choice, you will find posters, resources and more information on this OHA page.
|
|
|
Now is the time to get your vaccination or booster! |
|
Cases and hospitalizations are down and demand for vaccination has slowed, but the pandemic is still with us. The BA.2 variant is spreading in the U.S. and health experts say as we remove our masks, cases will again start to rise.
We don't know how serious this new variant will be and how much it will disrupt our lives, but we do know that vaccines and boosters are still the best way to protect us against severe disease.
There are still plenty of opportunities to be vaccinated and boosted. Find out more at www.co.washington.or.us/vaccine.
|
|
|
Washington County is accepting requests for in-home vaccinations for people experiencing barriers to care and answer yes to this question:
Are you experiencing difficulty visiting a vaccine clinic because of a disability, mental or physical health issue?
You can make a request for you or your loved one by calling 503-846-8123 or emailing covidvaccine@co.washington.or.us.
|
|
|
COVID-19 Testing Sites & Information |
|
|
Historic Community Engagement Partnership Unites Local Governments for Equitable Pandemic Recovery |
|
Centering racial equity in ongoing pandemic recovery efforts, Washington County and the cities of Hillsboro and Beaverton are implementing a historic, shared approach to community engagement.
The three local governments formally agreed on March 15, 2022, to work in partnership to:
- Advance culturally responsive engagement with community-based organizations
- Identify community engagement policies and best practices for consistency across governments
- Ground pandemic recovery strategy in the needs of marginalized communities
This groundbreaking project will strengthen government-community relationships, ensure replicable methods that allow for long-term analyses, and reinforce decision-making processes with lasting impacts beyond pandemic recovery.
|
|
To kick off the collaboration, the three governments are hiring a shared community engagement consultant (or consultant team) to co-design the engagement strategy with culturally specific community organizations and directly fund their capacity-building efforts.
|
|
What is the American Recue Plan Act (ARPA)?
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) is providing State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) for state, local governments for immediate COVID-19 response, public services, economic stability for both individuals and businesses, and addressing disparate impacts of the pandemic. Washington County is a direct recipient of ARPA funds, with half of its $117M total received in 2021, and the second expected in mid-2022.
Timeline in administering funds
As the guidance for the SLFRF continues to develop and to clear up any confusion on when the funding must be administered by – a ‘Final Rule’ has been released to guide administrators. This Final Rule has confirmed that there are two deadlines to be aware of for using the SLFRF.
-
First Deadline: December 31st, 2024, is the deadline for costs to be incurred and obligations to be created.
The U.S. Treasury has adopted the meaning of the word ‘incurred’ to be the same as the definition in 2 CFR 200.1 and defined financial ‘obligations’ which states “when referencing a recipient's or subrecipient's use of funds under a federal award, means orders placed for property and services, contracts and sub awards made, and similar transactions that require payment.”
This means that projects that are being funded by SLFRF must have contracts executed and documented orders placed for services or goods no later than December 31st, 2024.
-
Second Deadline: December 31st, 2026, once these obligations have been made, governments have until the second deadline of December 31st, 2026, to make expenditures for those obligations.
This means that the goods need to have been delivered, the services rendered, the employee’s hours worked, or the assistance given no later than December 31st, 2026, for those local governments on the accrual or modified accrual accounting basis.
For those local governments on the cash accounting basis, this means that the cash must be dispersed (checks-cleared) no later than December 31, 2026, for the services and goods that were obligated by December 31, 2024.
For those on the accrual basis, payments and cash disbursements are expected to be made within a reasonable amount of time, usually within 60 to 90 days of the expenditure date.
Any organization utilizing SLFRF should be familiar with the Uniform Guidance of 2 CFR 200 for Federal Grants and must maintain adequate stewardship of the federal funds that they receive, which includes ensuring that obligations and expenditures are completed by the required deadlines.
|
|
|
Stay up to date on the American Rescue Plan
Learn how Washington County is investing federal funds into our community.
|
|
|
|
|
Please join Board of County Commissioners Chair Kathryn Harrington for a virtual 2022 State of the County address which will air on Tuesday, April 12, at 4 p.m. Chair Harrington will reflect on the challenges we have faced over the past year, future priorities and the work the county does to support the community. She will be joined by each district commissioner who will share their own updates and priorities for 2022 and beyond. |
|
|
Commissioner District Reapportionment
New population numbers are prompting the process for redrawing commissioner district boundaries this year.
|
|
|
Champions for School Health Grant - Application due April 4 |
National Association of School Nurses is inviting school nurses, and organizations—schools and school districts, 501(c) community organizations and health centers, local health departments, and non-profit faith-based organizations— to apply for a range of $5,000–$10,000 implementation grants to fund programs or initiatives that would advance the following objectives in underserved communities:
1. Increasing pediatric COVID-19 vaccination rates among children aged 5–11
2. Increasing confidence in pediatric COVID-19 vaccines
3. Creating sustainable school-community partnerships that increase health equity
Funding is for Spring and Summer 2022 to support activities at the school district-level or in support of individual school sites. Activities must be completed by June 15, 2022, for Spring 2022 projects and by August 15, 2022 for Summer 2022 projects. For more details, visit this page.
|
|
|
|
Food Access Support Funds for Culturally Specific Resources & Services - Application due April 15 |
Grant funding for food access related work is available through a unique partnership between Community Action Organization and Washington County’s Health Equity, Planning, and Policy team. This opportunity is focused on providing community organizations with funding to support distribution of food and related resources for the communities of color, immigrant, and refugee communities as well as capacity building initiatives that create the foundation for more equitable food access systems in Washington County. Applications are due April 15th, although extensions can be requested. See more information here, and in the flyer attached, and please note that information and application materials are also available in Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Arabic. |
|
|
Healthier Oregon, Outreach, and System Navigation Grant - Application due April 20 |
Oregon Health Authority (OHA) invites organizations to submit a Proposal to participate in the Healthier Oregon, Outreach, and System Navigation Grant Program.
Grant funds awarded as a result of this RFGP shall be used to support: 1) outreach to Citizen Waived Medical (CWM) members, who are 19 – 25 and 55 and older who currently have limited Oregon Health Plan benefits but will soon have full benefits through the Healthier Oregon Program, 2) system navigation help for Healthier Oregon members, and 3) application assistance, as needed.
|
|
|
|
Washington County Extends Emergency Winter Shelter Program into Spring |
The program will extend operations to provide shelter beds for families, medically fragile individuals, and adults experiencing homelessness through a combination of congregate, shared space shelter settings and vouchers. To access these shelter beds and specific dates and shelter locations contact Community Connect (our coordinated entry system to receive services) at 503-640-3263 or email communityconnect@caowash.org.
|
|
|
For clients who are houseless and looking for temporary shelter in their community, this site lists all available shelters in the area: www.shelterlistings.org
|
|
|
Utility Assistance and Energy Conservation - Community Action |
If community members are experiencing financial difficulty, Community Action can make a payment directly for them. For more information, please visit Community Action's utility assistance page. If repair is needed to improve energy efficiency, weatherization assistance is available. For more information, visit this page. Or call (503) 615-0771, Monday-Friday between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. |
|
|
|
Help with Past-Due Balances at NW Natural Gas |
Oregon Arrearage Management Program (AMP): Oregon NW Natural Gas customers in need may be able to receive assistance through several grant options available to help with a past-due balance. This new program provides instant grants of up to $300 and more options for larger balances. A grant can be used to help offset the cost of a payment plan or to pay off a past-due account balance. Click here https://www.nwnatural.com/account/payment-assistance or call Customer Service at 800-422-4012.
|
|
Portland General Electric encourages all customers to call and ask for information on payment plans, fee waivers, and other assistance. The phone numbers are 503-228-6322 (for Portland), 503-399-7717 (for Salem), or call toll-free at 800-542-8818. |
|
|
Wood Stove Exchange
Older and uncertified wood stoves and inserts are inefficient, dirty and pollute the air inside your home and around your neighborhood. If you currently use one of these old stoves to stay warm in the winter, Washington County offers rebates of $1,500-$3,500 for a new stove, insert, or other heating system or offer free replacement for households that meet income criteria.
Saturday May 7, 2022 from 9 am – 3 pm at Far West Recycling
Far West Recycling, 6440 SE Alexander St., Hillsboro.
This one-day event and the funds to be distributed are available only to homes in Washington County. Only 40 stoves will be accepted at this event. For more information, visit this page.
|
|
|
Home Access Repair for the Disabled and Elderly (HARDE)
Offers grants to pay for urgent repairs and accessibility improvements for Washington County residents who are disabled or elderly and have assets lower than $15,000 and low income. Eligible repairs include repair or replacement of failed heating, plumbing, roofing, or electrical systems, and accessibility improvements such as grab bars, accessible bathrooms, and ramps. For more information, visit the Washington County Community Development webpage or contact Housing Rehabilitation Coordinator.
|
|
|
|
Domestic Violence Resource Center 24hr Crisis Line |
Click here https://www.dvrc-or.org/ or call the 24hr Crisis Line at: 503-469-8620. If the survivor experiencing domestic violence has a minor child in their care, they may be able to apply for the Temporary Assistance for Domestic Violence Survivors grant through ODHS (Oregon Department of Human Services), which may be able to help them flee, if eligible. To apply for this assistance, the survivor needs to contact their local ODHS Self Sufficiency office and request Domestic Violence services. Click here for information: https://www.oregon.gov/dhs/abuse/domestic/pages/tadvs.aspx or call: Tigard – 503-670-9711 – 10777 SW Cascade Ave, Tigard, OR 97223
Beaverton – 503-646-9952 – 15425 NW Greenbrier Pkwy, Beaverton, OR 97006
Hillsboro – 503-693-4555 – 5300 NE Elam Young Pkwy, Hillsboro, OR 97124
|
|
Mental Health and Addiction Services in Washington County |
Services may be accessed by calling the Washington County Member Services Line at
503-291-1155.
|
|
|
Access to Healthcare Services
Project Access NOW has a mission to improve the health of our community by creating access to care and services for those most in need. They support comprehensive solutions adapted to meet the changing needs of our community. As they continue their core work of connecting low-income uninsured people to donated healthcare services, their focus has expanded to include innovative initiatives and partnerships that go beyond simple healthcare and address the social determinants of health. For more information click https://www.projectaccessnow.org/programs.
|
|
This monthly newsletter is designed for community-based organizations to share COVID-19 related information and resources specific to Washington County. Please email us if you have:
- Information or resources you would like to include in this newsletter
- Question about resources needed in the community not included in this newsletter
- Opportunities or ideas you’d like to collaborate with another CBO on (e.g. Media campaign or events)
- Successful outreach events or stories you would like to share with other CBOs
|
|
|
|
Subscribe to receive this monthly newsletter into your inbox. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
