Richard Ott joins the chat to talk about glasses, getting
older, and fighting fires as an office worker.
In addition, he stops by to discuss the intersection of mental health services
and the unhoused. Richard has worked in
the healthcare field for over 25 years, with 16 years of that time being spent
working in acute, inpatient psychiatric care at Oregon State Hospital (OSH).
At OSH he worked as a direct service provider (clinician) and held
administrative level positions.
Currently, Richard works as a Compliance Officer, Privacy Officer, Risk
Manager, and Safety Officer for The Portland Clinic. In addition, for more than a decade, in his
off-work time, he also volunteered as a firefighter/EMT and saw firsthand the
pernicious impacts mental health and addiction related issues have had on
individuals, families and communities.
Welcome, Richard!

It should be noted, that while Richard is super knowledgeable
about the mental health system, he is not speaking in an official capacity, and
doesn’t represent the views of either his current or former employer.