Friendly South Lane Neighborhood Therapists

In 1988, South Lane Mental Health was started by members of the community for members of the community. Our community-focused feel has remained ever since. We all struggle from time to time; it’s important for people to have access to a therapist to help restore hope and get a sense of a renewed life.

At SLMH, we are passionate about the work we do and appreciate how involved the community is in supporting one another’s mental health. With locations around Cottage Grove, OR, it’s possible for members of the community to have access to mental health services in South Lane County.

Our History

South Lane Mental Health is deeply rooted in the Cottage Grove community, with a rich history of caring and concern. In the winter of 1987, an unhoused woman with mental illness moved into the First Presbyterian Church in Cottage Grove. Because there were no community mental health or housing resources available, church members allowed her to stay. However, she began showing traits of paranoia and psychosis and was admitted to a Portland-area psychiatric facility for treatment.

Social workers recommended a residential placement for the woman upon her release, but there was no housing for persons with psychiatric disabilities in Cottage Grove.

In response, the First Presbyterian Church formed a committee to determine whether a local mental health service could be created in Cottage Grove. A community board of directors was formed and began the process of incorporating as a private non-profit.

The next year, the organization, originally named the “Bohemia Residential Community,” began providing residential services to five people in a house donated by the local Cottage Grove Woodard family and members of the Presbyterian Church.

South Lane Mental Health has since grown from five employees assisting 50 people annually to a fluctuating staff of approximately 89 helping an average of 1,400 South Lane County area adults and children each year. We are proud to be the region’s largest comprehensive mental health services provider.