The mental health nonprofit Kairos NW has opened a new outpatient clinic in Eugene.
Kairos Lane Services, located on West 18th Avenue near Chambers Street, will provide therapy, psychiatric care and peer support for youth up to 24 years old and their families.
Kairos already has a residential treatment home in Eugene and runs seven other facilities across Oregon.
Outpatient Services Director Sarah Hollingworth said it’s expanding after the team noted a shortage of therapy options for young people in the Eugene area.
“The heart and soul of Kairos is really in our mission of really trying to provide hope to our youth and families,” said Hollingworth.
Kaden Miller, a Youth Peer Support Specialist for Kairos, uses their own lived experiences with trauma and mental health services to try to help their clients.
They said sometimes that can mean teaching day-to-day life skills, like navigating relationships or building up the confidence to order something at a store.
“Helping them figure out that ‘oh, these situations that I'm afraid of aren't actually that scary,’” said Miller. ”’There's someone who has gone through the same thing, and they're okay.’”
Laura Locke, a therapist for Kairos, said it’s common for a client to bounce back and forth between peer support and the more traditional clinical services she provides.
“There's not a lot of therapy that you can get when you're younger, and especially without paying an arm and a leg for it,” said Locke. “And it is the therapy that I wish that I had when I was younger.”
Hollingworth said the expansion is funded through Kairo’s own dollars. She said they’re still working to build up partnerships and referrals with other local organizations.
The clinic is starting with three direct care workers, with plans to hire at least two more this year, and beyond that as demand allows.
“We're starting small, and we're aiming to be responsive to what the community is telling us is their biggest needs,” said Hollingworth. “And then we're open to input on where we need to grow.”
