Dr. Mary Andrus, Co-Director of the Art Therapy Program at Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling and participants in art therapy at Lewis and Clark College.(Lewis & Clark College)

Last month, Governor Kotek signed HB 3761 into law, expanding access to Art Therapy for Oregonians on Medicaid/Oregon Health Plan. This new law ensures that those with the fewest resources can benefit from this powerful mental health treatment.

Joining the Exchange to discuss the impact of the new law is Dr. Mary Andrus, Co-Director of the Art Therapy Program at Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling.

Dr. Andrus explained that Art Therapy’s reliance on somatic practices makes it especially effective for trauma treatment. “Neurobiologically, we know how trauma encodes in the brain in ways that can shut down a person’s ability to talk about it. Art Therapy uses approaches that soothe the nervous system and help create new, healthier responses,” she said. Art Therapy is also particularly helpful for engaging children and youth, as well as individuals with language barriers or who are nonverbal.

The new law positions Oregon as a national leader in expanding mental health care access while supporting art therapists in building sustainable, impactful careers serving the public.

Ribbon cutting on May 9, 2025 for the Ko-Kwel Wellness Center. Featured center: Coquille Tribal Council member Tony DiBenedetto, Ko-Kwel Wellness Center CEO Caryn Mickelson, Coquille Tribal Chair Brenda Meade, and Coquille Tribal Chief Jason Younker.

The Coquille Indian Tribe has a new holistic Opioid Treatment Program offered to tribal members through its Ko-Kwel Wellness Center. Joining the Exchange to discuss is Caryn Mickelson, CEO of the Health and Wellness Division of the Ko-Kwel Wellness Center.

The OSU study used bighorn sheep as an example species but the AI training described in the paper is widely applicable, scientists say.( Oregon State University)

Oregon State University scientists are using artificial intelligence as a tool to quickly sift through thousands of images from motion-sensory cameras that capture wildlife in their native habitat. As Ai becomes more accurate through the training, it increases efficiency by reducing the time required by researchers to identify wildlife species captured by the cameras stationed in the wild.

Joining the Exchange to discuss the project is Owen S. Okuley, an undergraduate researcher with the Epps Population Genetics Lab at Oregon State University.

The research, led by Owen Okuley, an undergraduate student under Aiello’s mentorship in the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Sciences, was published in Ecological Informatics. The study used bighorn sheep as an example species but the AI training described in the paper is widely applicable, the scientists say.

Experts predict demand for electricity in the Northwest to grow at least 3% per year until 2034.(Robert Zullo / States Newsroom)

Legislation passed in the Oregon Senate will shield families and small businesses from the extra utility costs brought on by huge corporate users of electricity, like data centers and cryptocurrency operations.

The POWER Act — Protecting Oregonians With Energy Responsibility — sets up a separate pricing system for electricity users demanding more than 20 megawatts, roughly the same usage as a small city. The measure, also known as House Bill 3546, is a response to the tight squeeze utility bills are putting on Oregon households.

Joining the Exchange to shed more light on the issue is State Representative Pam Marsh, a chief sponsor of the bill in the Oregon House.

The bill establishes a new customer class for large energy users, requiring them to pay a fair share of the costs associated with grid upgrades and investments necessary to meet their demand. This includes creating contracts with these users and ensuring they pay for their energy consumption even if it's less than originally expected. Since 2021, electric rates at some power companies have risen by nearly 50 percent and thousands of families have had the power shut off at home because they couldn’t afford the bill. At the same time, large industrial users currently pay about 2 cents a kilowatt hour while households are charged more than triple that rate.

The measure passed the Senate in a vote of 18 to 12 and now returns to the Oregon House of Representatives for final passage.

InsideTrack leadership team.( InsideTrack)

Oregon Institute of Technology is expanding a statewide student coaching initiative in partnership with national nonprofit InsideTrack.

The program offers one-on-one coaching for students at Oregon Tech’s Klamath Falls and Portland-Metro campuses as well as online—providing personalized guidance to help learners enroll, stay on track, and complete their degrees.

Joining the Exchange to discuss the partnership is Ruth Bauer, President of InsideTrack.

The expansion comes at a time when nearly 500,000 Oregonians have some college credit but no degree. Through a mix of state grant funding and institutional investment, Oregon Tech is not only offering direct support for students—but also building long-term in-house capacity to sustain that support through Inside Track’s coaching development and training model.

Oregon Tech is Oregon’s only public polytechnic university, serving over 5,300 students in career-focused fields like engineering, health, and applied sciences. Its learners reflect the complexity of today’s higher ed landscape: one-third study online, many are first-generation, military-affiliated, or returning adults.

(BuildUp Oregon)

Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS), in partnership with BuildUp Oregon (BUO), has committed $7.4 million in grants and loans to nine innovative projects that co-locate early care and education (ECE) with affordable housing developments across the state.

Andrea Bell, Executive Director of OHCS joins the Exchange to discuss the projects and their expected impact. Also joining the conversation is Geoffrey Lowry, Program Director for Oregon Child Development Coalition in Ashland, and Krista Palmer, Executive Director of Sunstone Housing Collaborative.

These projects, which leverage an additional $20 million of public and private investment, will strengthen communities by simultaneously increasing access to affordable housing and opportunities for quality early care and education, serving families where they live and dream.

Geoffrey Lowry, Program Director for the Oregon Child Development Coalition, Jefferson Exchange Host Mike Green and Krista Palmer, Executive Director, Sunstone Housing Collaborative.(JPR Senior Producer, Natalie Golay)

The SOU Student Film Festival is open to the public on June 4 at 6pm and June 11 at 7pm at the Varsity Theatre.( SOU)

This year's edition of the SOU Student Film Festival includes fifteen short films produced by students from SOU's Digital Cinema program and other media programs on campus. It includes short comedies, dramas, animation, and more.

Open to the public. Two run dates:

June 4 at 6pm. Varsity Theater in downtown Ashland.

June 11 at 7pm. Varsity Theater in downtown Ashland. Tickets.

Approximate total run time for the series of short films on each day is 95 minutes.

Joining the Exchange is Chris Lucas, Assistant Professor of Film Distribution and Festivals at Southern Oregon University. Also joining the conversation is Ellie Blount, a senior at SOU majoring in digital cinema and Director of the SOU Student Film Festival.

SOU Student Film Festival Director, Ellie Blount, Jefferson Exchange Host Mike Green, SOU Assistant Professor of Film Distribution and Festivals, Chris Lucas.(JPR Senior Producer, Natalie Golay)

(Klamath Community College)

Klamath Community College will soon offer two new, four-year Applied Bachelor degrees — Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and Bachelor of Applied Science in Business Management with an emphasis on salon management in the industry of cosmetology.

Both degree programs have been accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). A letter from NWCCU’s Senior Vice President Teresa Rivenes, PhD, approving the degrees was received by the college Monday, May 19.

While the community college offers close to 90 certificates and associate degrees, this is the first time it will be offering bachelor degrees. The program was also approved by the KCC Board of Education on Dec. 3. The first classes will be offered in the fall of 2026.

Joining the Exchange to discuss the new programs and what they mean for students and the Klamath community is Dr. Stephen Hobbs, Dean of Allied Health and Sciences at Klamath Community College.

( EASA Community)

The Early Assessment and Support Alliance (EASA) is a network of programs and individuals across Oregon who are focused on providing rapid identification, support, assessment and treatment for teenagers and young adults who are experiencing the early signs of psychosis. EASA is designed as a transitional program, with the goal of providing the education and resources the person needs to be successful in the long-term. Most individuals participate in EASA for about two years, although that time frame varies.

Joining the Exchange is Melinda Gale, a retired educator and administrator with Portland Public Schools, and an EASA parent. Also joining the conversation is Christie Taylor, a Young Adult Services Coordinator with the Oregon Health Authority.

According to Oregon Health Authority, EASA serves young adults 12-25 experiencing symptoms consistent with early or initial onset psychosis. With the addition of federal dollars, all Oregon counties are funded to provide EASA and are developing teams, and 96% of Oregonians have access to an established team. Find EASA sites for your county in Oregon.

( Guilford Press)

Dr. Meredith Gansner is a physician at Boston Children’s Hospital and Instructor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. She is also the author of the new book, “Teen Depression Gone Viral: Why Kids Are More Vulnerable Than Ever & How You Can Protect Your Child’s Health and Happiness.”

Dr. Gansner joins the Exchange to shed a spotlight on the difficult and sensitive issue of teen depression and suicide.

Through the thoughtful and caring lens and her new book, parents gain an easy-to-understand resource guide that addresses in plain language many of the challenges facing both parents and teens dealing with depression. She offers a way forward, at times, step-by-step. There are no easy fixes, but there is a pathway back to good mental health. Dr. Gansner leads us along that path, explaining the nuances, distinctions and solutions that can be confusing to understand without such a valued resource.