When behavioral health challenges intersect with housing instability, access to treatment can mean the difference between crisis and recovery. Your gift helps ensure people have the right help, at the right time, for as long as they need it.
YOUR GIFT CREATES STABILITY, ACCESS & HOPE
As behavioral health needs continue across Southern Oregon, access to timely treatment and recovery support remains critical. Individuals, families, and parents with their children are seeking help during moments of transition, crisis, and determination — and Continuum is here to meet them with dignity, evidence-based treatment, and support that lasts.
Community support makes this work possible. Public funding alone does not cover the full scope of services required to help people stabilize, heal, and move forward. Philanthropic support ensures Continuum can respond when the need is greatest and provide treatment and recovery support without delay.
While this appeal began as part of our year-end campaign, we are continuing our outreach into the new year to raise $30,000 to strengthen access to behavioral health treatment, support safe housing while individuals wait for services, and provide recovery support that helps people rebuild their lives.
Your gift is an investment in people, families, children, and communities — and in the belief that recovery is possible with the right help at the right time.
Read a message from Executive Director Sommer Wolcott and Board President Trevor Arnold →
When You Give, Your Support Helps:
A STORY OF RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE
Hi, my name is James. My journey began in a hospital bed. My heart was failing. I could barely breathe, and walking felt impossible. I didn’t know what would come next or if I even had a future.
While I was still in the hospital, I was connected with recovery services in the community. I was told, “If you’re willing to try something different, show up when you get out and we’ll help set you on the path to recovery.” For the first time in a long time, someone believed there was another way forward for me.
When I left the hospital, I was placed in Continuum’s emergency lodging. Without that housing and the support, I got there, I know I would have ended up back on the street in a puddle of drugs. Having a safe place to stay gave me the chance to slow down and start focusing on recovery.
From there, I moved forward into residential treatment, and then transitional housing.
Today, I’ve been clean and sober for nearly 18 months. I work as a house mentor at the Grape Street Transitional House. I’ve completed peer support training and graduated. My family is back in my life, and for the first time in 40 years, my life has purpose, all because I had a safe place to go when I left the hospital.
So, thank you.
WHY THIS WORK MATTERS
I serve as the Intensive Case Manager for Medford’s Emergency Lodging program. I’m also in recovery myself, sober for over six years, which gives me a deep understanding of the battles our guests are facing.
Over the past year, I’ve seen what happens when people are given even a small spark of hope. I’ve watched individuals who have spent years, sometimes decades, in survival mode begin to believe that change is possible. The shift is visible. Fear starts to fade. Hope returns.
For the first time in a long time, they feel safe enough to think about more than just getting through the night. During a recent house meeting, one guest shared something that stayed with me. They didn’t talk about big milestones or long-term goals. They talked about being grateful for a shower, a bed, and a door they could lock. Simple things many of us take for granted, but things that meant safety, dignity, and rest.
Emergency Lodging is more than a place to sleep. It is often the first step off the streets and the bridge into treatment and recovery. It gives people the stability they need to begin healing and to believe that a different future is possible.
I’m writing for those who are still waiting for their chance — for those who are one safe night, one warm meal, and one helping hand away from choosing recovery.
Thank you for making that possible.
Read More Stories:
These stories represent just a few of the lives touched by Continuum. Explore more stories of recovery and healing.
- Overcoming Addiction and Homelessness to Reclaim Motherhood
- A Journey of Recovery, Resilience, and Giving Back
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH IN OUR COMMUNITIES
Across Southern Oregon, behavioral health needs continue to rise—impacting individuals, families, healthcare systems, and the stability of our communities.
Data Highlights
51% of overdose deaths
In 2024, more than half of overdose deaths in Oregon involved opioids combined with stimulants, reflecting the increasing complexity and risk of substance use disorders.
9,704 emergency department visits
Oregon recorded 9,704 overdose-related emergency department visits in 2024, continuing to strain emergency and behavioral health systems.
1,833 lives lost
Overdose remains a leading cause of preventable death. In 2023, 1,833 people in Oregon died from an overdose.
Limited access to treatment
Behavioral health provider shortages create barriers to timely treatment in Southern Oregon.
• Jackson County: 17.6 behavioral health professionals per 10,000 people
• Josephine County: 10.4 per 10,000 people
Economic stress and recovery
Financial instability increases vulnerability to behavioral health challenges and affects recovery outcomes.
• 43% of Jackson County households
• 46% of Josephine County households experience financial hardship
Sources: Oregon Health Authority; Health Care Workforce Reporting Program (2024); Oregon by the Numbers (2025)
Why Access to Treatment Remains Limited
Across Oregon—and especially in Southern Oregon—the demand for behavioral health treatment far exceeds the system’s capacity. Workforce shortages and limited treatment and recovery facilities create waitlists and delays for individuals and families seeking help.
Capacity Gaps That Affect Access
Workforce shortages
Oregon faces a 93% gap in qualified mental health professionals, significantly limiting timely access to behavioral health treatment.
Treatment and recovery capacity
Inpatient and residential treatment availability remains constrained, with more than half of recovery beds unavailable to meet current demand.
Community-based recovery support
Recovery community centers and stabilization services show some of the largest service gaps statewide, despite growing need for long-term recovery support.
Source: Estimates produced using the Calculating an Adequate System Tool (CAST)
Oregon’s Provider and Service Capacity Gaps
Across Oregon, many organizations report that their capacity for behavioral health services does not meet community demand. Region 4—which includes Coos, Curry, Douglas, Jackson, Josephine, and Klamath counties—shows the highest percentage of organizations reporting inadequate capacity.
Testimonials
"Supporting OnTrack (now Continuum) is one of the most meaningful ways I can give back to my community. I believe in the power of second chances, and I'm proud to serve an organization that helps people heal, rebuild, and thrive."
— Trevor Arnold, Board President, Continuum
“Working with OnTrack (now Continuum) at our onsite Syringe Exchange location has been a strong and supportive partnership. As a recovery organization, OnTrack provides an important pathway for clients who are ready to begin their recovery journey. Their staff consistently show up prepared and approachable, offering compassionate support to participants. We greatly value their presence, as they help bridge harm reduction with recovery in a seamless and respectful way.”
— Gwynne Head, Jackson County Public Health
“For over a decade, OnTrack (now Continuum) has been a trusted and valued partner in the Birch Grove Collaboration. La Clinica relies on their On-PACE trainees who work side by side with our medical care teams, strengthening the workforce and improving health outcomes for our patients who need timely access to substance use treatment.”
— Stephanie Lyon, Behavioral Health Collaborative Director, La Clinica
“OnTrack (now Continuum) is expanding their efforts and serving our region in so many ways. Their focus on family-centered recovery is both inspiring and effective. The professional development training they offer is also vital. OnTrack is a fantastic partner in our region's efforts to make sure every person and every family who lives here has a chance to thrive.”
— Peter Buckley, Southern Oregon Success
"Serving OnTrack Rogue Valley (now Continuum) and its clients has been an amazing honor and privilege. I am humbled to have witnessed the compassion, professionalism, and sacrifice OnTrack's staff consistently gives to our community. From leadership on down, they embody the mission of empowering individuals and families to overcome addiction, poverty, and social stigma. We are so lucky to have this dedicated team leading for better outcomes in Southern Oregon."
— David Barba, Nepenthe Laboratory Services
"I’ve had the pleasure of working with Katrin Yount and the training and apprenticeship team at OnTrack Rogue Valley (now Continuum). As a workforce professional with over 25 years of experience, I can say that the OnTrack program is of the highest quality. The processes put in place to ensure the success of the trainees and the staff are thoughtful and effective. The OnTrack program has made a positive impact on the individuals who have been trained and on the clients they serve."
— Julie Hegle, Director of Education Relations at JobForward, Inc
I originally come to OnTrack (now Continuum) looking for a job, and they offered me schooling. I am so grateful they saw something in me I had yet to see in myself as I was a recovering addict.
They helped me to believe in myself, to overcome adversity, and to use my past to inspire others to overcome the same obstacles and defeat the chains of addiction. I am now a certified drug and alcohol counselor. I have a full-time job that I love, getting to save people’s future with unlimited potential."
— Graduate, On-PACE Cohort III Program
Your Partnership Matters — Today and Tomorrow
Every gift you make today helps ensure that people across Southern Oregon can access treatment, find stability, and rebuild their lives with dignity. Continuum cannot do this alone — your support provides hope, safety, and healing when it is needed most.