[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 127 (Monday, September 27, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S11501]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                MT. HOOD COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTER

 Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, I wish to recognize the outstanding 
work of the VIEWS volunteers at Mt. Hood Community Mental Health Center 
of Gresham, Oregon. They devote many hours to helping seniors in 
emotional crisis.
  Mt. Hood Community Mental Health Center began in 1985 as an outreach 
program for seniors at risk of suicide, and soon developed several 
programs to address various levels of depression or emotional crisis 
among seniors, including Volunteers Involved in the Emotional Well-
being of Seniors (VIEWS). Over the last ten years, Mt. Hood Community 
Mental Health Center has trained more than 100 peer counselors who 
have, in turn, provided crucial counseling to over 400 seniors. Without 
the help of these volunteers, many of Oregon's seniors would have sunk 
deeper into isolation and despair. As a result of the assistance of 
these invaluable volunteers, the medical professionals at Mt. Hood 
Community Mental Health Center have been able to extend their reach far 
beyond what their limited budget would otherwise allow.
  These volunteers are performing extraordinary work. I am proud that 
my own State of Oregon has initiated this effort, and I again wish to 
congratulate the VIEWS volunteers for being an example of what we can 
do to help others make a positive difference in the lives of 
seniors.

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