Unity Center and Legacy Health Expand Behavioral Health Services

Unity Center for Behavioral Health, now in its ninth year of operations, continues to grow and expand its services in the mental health and substance use treatment spaces, providing life-saving care to the Portland community and beyond.

The 24-hour behavioral health hospital provides immediate care to those in crisis through its psychiatric emergency and substance use disorder services—providing comprehensive crisis care under the same roof.

In recent months, Unity Center has expanded its offerings to patients and plans to add new services soon. In 2024, Legacy Health created the Behavioral Health Service Line, making it a front-and-center priority to expand those services throughout the Legacy Health system.

“Legacy understands the great need in our community to expand access to behavioral healthcare,” said Unity Center Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Anne Gross. “We are committed to the wellness of our communities. We want to see people thrive, and as we all know, mental health is health. Legacy is here for the good of all in need.” 

To mark Mental Health Awareness Month—recognized every May since 1949—Unity Center is pleased to share some of its latest data and patient outcomes with the community, as well as an update on future plans.

Bridge Clinics Provide Continued Care After Leaving the Hospital

Launched in March of 2025, Unity Center’s Adult Bridge Clinic has helped more than 260 individuals get the continued care they need after leaving Unity Center, including medication management and counseling. Without this care, individuals often experience relapses and may end up back in the hospital.  

Legacy is also offering a similar program for adolescents through the Pediatric Bridge Clinic at Randall Children’s Hospital. Launched in September of 2025, it has provided continuing mental healthcare for more than 100 adolescents, and recently celebrated the opening of a larger, new location on the Legacy Emanuel Medical Center campus. “The bridge clinics have created a rare opportunity for us to witness recovery over time. Providers and staff who once cared for patients in crisis are now able to see those same patients stabilize and connect with services,” said Dr. Thomas Veeder, Medical Director of the Adult Bridge Clinic. “What began as a transitional clinic has become something larger—a bridge not only between hospital and community care, but between crisis and recovery.” 

Expanding Behavioral Health into New Spaces

Legacy Medical Group (LMG) recently added behavioral health services to six locations, as well as virtual services, to provide psychiatric evaluation and treatment in collaboration with a patient’s primary care team. This is an invaluable service that connects a patient’s physical health needs with their mental health needs, which are always connected. 

LMG has also added integrated behavioral health clinicians into pediatric care at Randall Children’s Hospital, providing same-day and same-week care for patients. 

In addition, Legacy has added inpatient and emergency department consultation services, providing adult and pediatric psychiatric consults liaisons, addiction medicine consults and expanded emergency department telepsychiatry services.