Community Outreach, Inc.
A service agency dedicated to helping people help themselves.
Services & Resources  
   
Clinics
Therapeutic Childcare
  Emergency Shelter
  Families in Transition  
  Food Provided for Meals  
  Transitional Housing  
 
Case Management
Crisis Intervention
  Outpatient Mental Health  
  Treatment Programs  
Frequently Asked Questions

How many medical clinics does Community Outreach hold each week?

What services do the medical clinics provide?

What is the fee per medical clinic visit?

What sources of revenue does Community Outreach have?

Who is eligible to stay at Community Outreach?

What should I tell people who want to stay at Community Outreach?

When can intake interviews occur?

What are the fees to stay at Community Outreach?

When can clients be in the facility?

Who supports Community Outreach?

How does Community Outreach offer so many programs considering the size of its budget?

How does Community Outreach's extreme weather contract work?

How do Community Outreach's emergency and transitional shelters work?

Do we serve initiators of domestic violence at Community Outreach?

Do we serve sex offenders at Community Outreach?

Does the therapeutic childcare center accept children who are not staying at the shelter?

Does Community Outreach serve male single parents with children?

What other shelter options are there in Corvallis?

What are differences between Albany Helping Hands and Community Outreach?

How do I volunteer for Community Outreach?

Can I tour Community Outreach?


Community Outreach holds fourclinics a week.  Three of them are in Corvallis at the Community Outreach facility and one is in Lebanon at the County Health Department.

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What services do the medical clinics provide?

The medical clinics provide access to medical care for people who have no health insurance and cannot otherwise afford healthcare.  Clients with the Oregon Health Plan are referred elsewhere.

Patients receive exams and treatment, free prescriptions, and over-the-counter medications, free radiology and lab services, referrals to specialists, physical exams, and diabetic counseling.  Patients are primarily seen for acute care issues.  Some (limited) psychiatric services are available.

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What is the fee per medical clinic visit?

$5 per visit is requested.  If patients are unable to pay, they are provided service at no charge.

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What sources of revenue does Community Outreach have?

COI Contributions by Fiscal Source 2006-2007

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Who is eligible to stay at Community Outreach?

Community Outreach houses men, women, and families who are homeless and qualify via our phone screen and intake interview.  Safety is a high priority at Community Outreach.  Staff examines a prospective client’s background during the phone screen and intake interview.  Clients who are violent, sex offenders, or users of drugs or alcohol for the past five days are not admitted.  Clients with mental health issues who are not medication compliant are not admitted. The staff ultimately bases admittance on its ability to accommodate the needs of the current client population and the needs of new prospective clients. 

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 What should I tell people who want to stay at Community Outreach?

Call Community Outreach between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m. to schedule a phone interview.  The staff person that assists you will schedule an intake appointment for later in the day, if appropriate. 

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 When can intake interviews occur?

Call 541-758-3000 to schedule a phone interview.  Staff schedules intakes during the day as needed for eligible clients.  An intake interview may take as long as an hour.  Staff is limited as to the number of intakes they can do in a day.

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What are the fees to stay at Community Outreach?

It costs $5 a day to stay at Community Outreach.  Clients without an income source are assigned a work schedule to pay off the fees.

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When can clients be in the facility?

Emergency housing clients must leave the facility between 9:00 a.m. and noon daily and 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. in the afternoon.  Transitional housing clients can be in the facility all day except for 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. in the afternoon.  Exceptions are during extreme weather or when a client is ill.  During this time frame, clients leave the facility to access community resources such as the library or other appropriate services.  Part of achieving self sufficiency is establishing productive interests outside of the Community Outreach facility.

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Who supports Community Outreach?

Community Outreach has diverse support from throughout the community.  The majority of contributions are from individuals but Community Outreach also receives major funding from the City of Corvallis, Samaritan Health Services, Community Services Consortium, United Way of Benton County, and United Way of Linn County. 

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How does Community Outreach offer so many programs considering the size of its budget?

Many of our employees work part-time.  In addition, Community Outreach has the support of many generous community volunteers, especially in our medical and dental clinics.  We also have regular volunteers in our childcare center.  Our volunteer coordinator is actively recruiting volunteers for social services work, resource development work, and other projects. 

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How does Community Outreach's extreme weather contract work?

The extreme weather contract applies when the weather is extremely cold or inclement.  Community Outreach serves nonviolent clients as part of the extreme weather contract when weather conditions apply.  Because we only screen the extreme weather clients to ensure they are nonviolent, they stay on the first floor of our facility on mats and bedding.  This ensures the safety of the clients in the rest of the facility.   

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How do Community Outreach's emergency and transitional shelters work?

One of the reasons we separated the emergency shelter clients from the regular men's shelter is the e-men's shelter population was distracting to the regular's men shelter population.  The e-men's shelter clientele is mostly looking just for shelter and food (they can stay for 7 days every 90 days) although some may decide to go into one of our treatment programs and end up in the transitional men's shelter. 

 The transitional shelter consists of men who are working towards a goal such as permanent housing, employment, furthering their education, or a combination of the above.  Some in our transitional shelter are veterans who are in need of substantial help and who stay at least several months since the Roseburg veteran's hospital is unable to accommodate them.  This is why the Eugene Veteran’s Administration arranged the contract with Community Outreach.  Some of the men in the transitional shelter are obtaining alcohol and drug treatment.

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Do we serve initiators of domestic violence at Community Outreach?

Yes, we serve initiators of domestic violence through our agency.  To clarify, they don't meet on site.  They are community referrals where the court has ordered the batterer to attend counseling.  They attend outpatient group treatment.  It is mostly men although women can be included in their own group.

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Do we serve sex offenders at Community Outreach?

No.  We use a screening process to ensure that the clients and staff of Community Outreach are safe.

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Does the therapeutic childcare center accept children who are not staying at the shelter?

Yes, we do with a focus on serving low- and no-income families.  Some of the children in the center are current or former residents of the shelter and some children come from needy families in the community.

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Does the therapeutic childcare center accept children who are not staying at the shelter?

Yes, we do with a focus on serving low- and no-income families.  Some of the children in the center are current or former residents of the shelter and some children come from needy families in the community.

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Does Community Outreach serve male single parents with children?

Yes, as long as we have available space in our family shelter, we are able to accommodate male single parents with children.

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What other shelter options are there in Corvallis?

If you are a youth, there is Jackson Street Youth Shelter.  If you are a woman fleeing domestic violence, there is the Center Against Rape and Domestic Violence.

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What are differences between Albany Helping Hands and Community Outreach?

In addition to its core shelter and medical services programs, Community Outreach focuses on helping people help themselves.  Community Outreach offers a range of treatment options including outpatient alcohol and drug treatment, outpatient mental health services, and domestic abuse intervention treatment. 

Albany Helping Hands focuses on food and shelter.  It is a faith-based institution, does not offer the same range of comprehensive programs, and accepts current users of alcohol and drugs. 

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How do I volunteer for Community Outreach?

We recommend that anyone wishing to volunteer either go to the Community Outreach web site at www.communityoutreachinc.org and select Volunteer to complete an electronic volunteer application or visit Community Outreach and complete a paper volunteer application.

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Can I tour Community Outreach?

Yes, please call 541-758-3000 and ask for Lee Tinker, the Development Officer.  She would be happy to arrange a tour.

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