By Susan Lyon-Mrick, LifeWorks NW Marketing Coordinator

LifeWorks NW representatives, Portland area community leaders and other non-profit providers came together on February 22 in celebration of LifeWorks NW’s newest facility in the thriving Alberta/Albina neighborhood of North Portland. They came together to honor the ongoing work that is being done to help children, youth, families and adults in this community. LifeWorks NW provides innovative and culturally-appropriate services at the new site.

Speakers for the opening included LifeWorks NW Board Member, Ed Washington, Community Liaison for Diversity Initiatives at Portland State University; Lolenzo Poe, Senior Policy Advisor to Multnomah County Chair Ted Wheeler; Margaret Carter, Oregon State Senator, and Mary Monnat, LifeWorks NW President and Chief Executive Officer.

Community members gathered in the conference room of the new site located at 4925 North Albina Avenue at the corner of Alberta Street. Guests enjoyed donated refreshments, including sweet potato salad and chicken wings from New Seasons Market, while listening to the African drumming of Brother Askari, who is otherwise known as Village Elder by the youth he works with in the Leo Ni Leo program located on site. Tours were also available throughout the event.

Guests at the event included: S. Renee Mitchell, Oregonian columnist; Michael Balter, Executive Director of The Boys & Girls Aid Society of Oregon; Maureen Hovenkotter, Field Representative covering Multnomah County for U.S. Senator Gordon Smith; David Striar, Director of Operations/Clinical Services of Janus Youth; and Kate Desmond, Program Manager for the Multnomah County Department of Community Justice’s Gang Resource and Intervention Team. There was also representation from Bradley-Angle House, the State of Oregon and the Children’s Investment Fund.

The two-story site is shared with Neil Kelly Associates who own the building. Neil Kelly does business in the north portion of the building, while LifeWorks NW services are provided in the south section.

LifeWorks NW services available at the Albina site include: child and family outpatient mental health, alcohol and drug prevention services for youth living in low income housing communities, culturally specific outpatient treatment for alcohol, drug and gambling addictions (Project for Community Recovery), culturally specific alcohol and other drug treatment specifically for adolescent African American youth (Leo Ni Leo program) and day treatment in an educational setting for adolescents (Nickerson program). The LifeWorks NW representative to the African American Tobacco Prevention and Education Network (AATPEN) which provides education, prevention, and technical assistance on tobacco issues in the African American community is also located in the site.

These services were previously housed in two different sites in the St. Johns and Concordia neighborhoods. More space and better accessibility for those seeking services led LifeWorks NW to open the Albina site. The site can be reached by Tri-Met bus using Route 4 on Albina.

LifeWorks NW was founded in 1961 and promotes a healthy community by providing quality and culturally responsive mental health and addiction services across the lifespan. More information is available at www.lifeworksnw.org or by calling 503-645-9010.