Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon

07/21/2025

More than 1 in 5 Oregonians has a substance use disorder, yet 4 out of 5 people who need treatment don’t receive it. More than half of providers report not having the capacity to meet demand.

It’s important that our community responds with compassion, and invests in care that meets people where they are.

07/19/2025

We can't wait to see everyone at the Portland Pride Parade tomorrow. Look out for us in the parade and wave hi! Stay safe in the summer heat, drink plenty of water, and let's celebrate Pride together.

07/16/2025

We are so excited to join our friends at Quest Center for Integrative Health this weekend to march in the Portland Pride Parade. We are overjoyed to be part of this celebration of love, identity, and community. Thank you to Quest for bringing us together in support of our LGBTQIA2+ community!

07/10/2025

Weeks have passed and yet for many in our small community the loss feels fresh each day.

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Shannon Olive, the founder and Executive Director of . Through her powerful vision and unshakable commitment, she built a strong community of support and a sanctuary for justice-involved women seeking dignity, renewal, and a meaningful second chance.

Shannon’s impact extended far beyond individual lives. She boldly challenged entrenched systems and inspired change through her brilliance, resilience, and unwavering love for her community. Her legacy lives on an every woman who finds strength and purpose through Rebuild Women First.

At MHAAO — soon to be The Peer Company — we honor her memory and stand with her family, her team, and the many lives she uplifted. Shannon’s light continues to lead us as we work to advance her vision of equity, belonging, and peer-powered transformation.

Rest in power, Shannon. Your legacy lives on.

07/03/2025

The Fourth of July means something different to everyone. While it can be a joyful time, it can also be a difficult one, especially for people in our communities living with PTSD, sensory sensitivities, or substance use challenges.

Even on holidays, it’s important to remember that we don’t all experience the world the same way. What feels like fun to one person might feel overwhelming or even unsafe to someone else.

There are small things we can do to support one another. That might mean skipping fireworks, making gatherings more inclusive, or simply checking in with someone who needs a quieter space.

Let’s look after each other this week. Community care matters every day of the year.

06/24/2025

Thank you to Nat and all the folks who joined us for the first LGBTQIA2S+ Peer Process Group last Friday at our Recovery Campus. We're so excited for this initiative and all that it will do to bring our LGBTQIA2S+ peers together!

This closed group meets every third Friday and is part of our ongoing effort to offer more individualized peer support and make peer services accessible to all. If you're interested in learning more, please reach out to your peer support specialist!

06/23/2025

We’re thrilled to join Quest Center for Integrative Health for this year’s Pride Walk! Pride is about visibility, celebration, and standing together in love and solidarity. We’re honored to be there with our friends at Quest Center for Integrative Health and to walk alongside our peers in unity.

06/18/2025

06/10/2025

It’s hard to believe it’s already been 30 days since Peerpocalypse 2025. As we look back, we’re filled with deep gratitude for everyone who helped make this year’s gathering so powerful.

Over four days, more than 1,300 of you came together to learn, connect, and be part of something bigger. We’re proud to share that Peerpocalypse 2025 featured over 40 workshops, incredible keynote speakers, and vibrant evening events that celebrated the heart of our community.

This year’s theme, C.H.A.N.G.E.—Community, Hope, Action, Networking, Giving, and Evolution—was more than a slogan. It came to life in the stories you shared, the support you offered, and the knowledge you brought into every space.

To every peer, presenter, volunteer, organizer, and supporter: thank you. Thank you for showing up with authenticity, curiosity, and care. Thank you for believing in the power of peer support.

Soon, we’ll be sharing our Peerpocalypse newsletter with attendees, including access to the full photo gallery from Peerpocalypse 2025. We hope you’ll take a moment to look through the memories and reflect on the community we built together.

We are proud to be part of this movement with you, and we are already looking forward to what we will build together next.



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The Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon will become The Peer Company as of September 1, 2025. This new name will better reflect our peer-led mission, our values, and the lived experience at the heart of our work

06/09/2025

On May 5th, at our annual Peerpocalypse conference, we announced something big: our new name and identity as The Peer Company. It was the start of Mental Health Awareness Month, and the beginning of a new chapter that will fully launch this September, as we step into Recovery Month with a name that reflects the heart of our work.

This shift is about more than a name. It’s about becoming more accessible, more connected, and more aligned with the people we serve and the values we live by.

We want to take a moment to thank the incredible creative agency Happylucky , who made this transformation possible. We didn’t just want a good brand, we needed the right one for us and our community. HappyLucky spent far more time with us than most would, guiding every part of the process with care, insight, and patience. It takes a talented team to build a strong brand. It takes true dedication and brilliance to create one that feels this honest, this resonant, and this true to who we are.

Thank you to our community partners and, most of all, to our peers who have embraced this change. Your voices shaped it. Your stories inspired it. Your work will carry it forward.

We’re proud to soon call ourselves The Peer Company. And we’re even prouder to have worked with a team like Happylucky to bring this vision to life. You helped us create something truly special.

06/06/2025

Many of the people we serve at the Multnomah County, Oregon Behavioral Health Resource Center are navigating complex challenges. They are living outside, facing ongoing trauma, and managing serious mental health and substance use issues. Basic healthcare is often difficult or even impossible to access. That struggle is made worse by past experiences of being treated poorly in medical settings. Years of being judged, dismissed, or harmed by providers have left deep wounds and made it hard to trust the very systems meant to help.

But people still need care. They need their wounds cleaned. Their blood pressure checked. Their questions answered with patience. And more than anything, they need to be treated with dignity.

Last Wednesday, thanks to the OHSU School of Nursing , eight student nurses joined us to offer on-site services at the center. They were joined by incredible teams from Central City Concern, Boulder Care, and Quest Center for Integrative Health. They provided foot care, wound care, blood pressure checks, hepatitis C testing, and more. Each table was a chance to meet someone where they are, to offer the care they need without judgment, and to start repairing the deep harm so many have carried.

Our community deserves care that is consistent, kind, and low-barrier. They deserve to know what it feels like to be respected by providers. Events like this don’t solve everything, but they matter. They plant seeds of trust and remind people that healing is still possible, and deserves to be supported.

We’re so grateful to everyone who showed up for our community to provide care and compassion for our folks at the BHRC. Your presence and service made a real impact, and it will be remembered. ❤️

06/04/2025

Come see us and so many incredible partners at the Rosewood Family Health Center 3530 SE 88th Ave Portland, 97202 today 2-6pm.

▪️Immunizations and Dental screenings
▪️$10 Sports physicals
▪️Well child checks
▪️Blood pressure checks
▪️Tacos and popcorn
▪️Music, face painting, and bubbles
▪️DJ
▪️Sidewalk chalk area
▪️Raffles and prizes

This is a family friendly event!

Plus, 20+ incredible organizations providing community based services.

Community, connection, and tacos — it doesn’t get much better than this!

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As of September 1, 2025, the Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon will become The Peer Company — a name that reflects our belief in peer support, shared experience, and healing in community.