The Peer Company

The Peer Company Our Vision: MHAAO is committed to promoting self-directed recovery and wellness for all individuals. We honor lived experiences.

The Peer Company (formerly Mental Health and Addiction Association of Oregon) is an inclusive peer-run organization dedicated to self-direction honoring the voice of lived experience. We support people wherever they are on their journey, free from judgment, or agenda. We support these aims through education, advocacy, recovery peer services, training, technical assistance, community collaboration, and through developing the peer workforce and leadership.

This Friday was our All-Staff Summer Appreciation Party! As an organization, we’re thrilled to bring together all of our...
08/28/2026

This Friday was our All-Staff Summer Appreciation Party!
 
As an organization, we’re thrilled to bring together all of our staff (over 150 folks!) together for an afternoon of appreciation, connection, and good belly laughs. We LOVE that we get to host staff appreciation parties twice each year, one for the summer and one for the winter season.
 
This year’s summer celebration was full of good food grilled by our very own Doug Bishop! Plus yard games and quality time catching up with coworkers across all of our sites.
 
Everyone also got new swag to celebrate! A fresh The Peer Company lanyard and a custom ringer tee, available in beige + forest green or lavender + white!
 
Our staff show up for our community every single day, this was our chance to show up for them. Thank you to everyone who makes The Peer Company such an amazing place to work at!!
 

Peer Wellness Specialist Training This October! Interested in becoming a Peer Wellness Specialist? We're offering two wa...
08/27/2026

Peer Wellness Specialist Training This October!

Interested in becoming a Peer Wellness Specialist? We're offering two ways to complete your training this October:

💻 Virtual Option: October 5–22, 9am–3:30pm
🏢 In-Person Option: October 5–19, 9am–5pm

Whether you learn best online or in the classroom, both paths will prepare you to bring your lived experience into meaningful, professional peer support work.

📝 Applications are due at least 2 weeks before your training starts so don't wait!

👉 Apply now: mhaoforegon.org/current-trainings

Burnout. Funding instability. Constant change. If you’re an executive or senior leader in the nonprofit or peer support ...
08/26/2026

Burnout. Funding instability. Constant change.
 
If you’re an executive or senior leader in the nonprofit or peer support field, you already know the weight of leading through uncertainty. 🌊
 
Our brand-new training, Leading Through Change, is built for leaders ready to move from reactive to PROACTIVE. With real strategic planning, change management, and resilience-building tools you can use immediately. We’re talking step out of the room with a game plan type of training. 
 
Not a leader (yet) but want to step into a senior leadership role? This training’s also for you!
 
This exciting, new training is led by Makana Agcaoili, MS, leadership development expert at The Peer Company.
 
We have two training options available:
Virtual via Zoom on Monday, Sept 28. Join from anywhere you have a wifi connection.
In-Person in SE Portland on Tuesday, Sept 29. 

Space is limited to 16 participants per session so everyone can easily engage and lock in.
 
Swipe through to learn more, then register via mhaoforegon.org/emerging-leaders
 

150,000 Visits and Counting!!! 🎉 Since opening in December 2022, our Behavioral Health Resource Center (BHRC) recorded i...
08/25/2026

150,000 Visits and Counting!!! 🎉
 
Since opening in December 2022, our Behavioral Health Resource Center (BHRC) recorded its 150,000th visit on Monday, July 20th at 2:00PM! A milestone that reflects thousands of moments of connection, support, and hope.
 
BHRC Director, Maranda Grimaldi, shared what this milestone means to her:
 
“Reaching 150,000 visits isn’t simply a milestone; it is a testament to every person who has walked through our doors seeking hope, every peer support specialist who leaves people better than they found them, and a reminder that recovery is possible. I am honored that the lived experience of my staff has become the cornerstone of the BHRC, where so many others have sought reprieve, safety, and a human connection from people who just get it.”
 
To everyone who has walked through our doors, and every peer support specialist who has shown up with lived experience and compassion: THANK YOU! for making the BHRC what it is. Here’s to the next 150,000! 🙌
 

Last Friday our managers and leadership team came together for one of our twice-yearly in-service days! A day dedicated ...
08/24/2026

Last Friday our managers and leadership team came together for one of our twice-yearly in-service days! A day dedicated to community and professional development.
 
The team focused on becoming even better stewards for our community and our employees by strengthening how we:

✅ Communicate as a team
✅ Support staff professional development
✅ Make data-informed decisions
 
Days like this help us stay grounded in our mission and aligned with our strategic goals because when our leaders grow, our whole organization (and the people we serve) benefit!
 

08/24/2026

⚖️ Free Expungement Drop-In Clinic this Wednesday, August 26th! ⚖️
 
Have an old record holding you back from jobs, housing, or a fresh start? Each month on the last Wednesday, we partner with the lovely folks at The CLEAR Clinic to host a free expungement drop-in clinic!
 
📅 Wednesday, August 26th
🕐 12:00 – 4:00 PM
📍 The Peer Company’s Hillsboro Admin Office at 5193 NE Elam Young Pkwy, Suite D, Hillsboro, OR
🅿️ Free parking available
 
The CLEAR Clinic helps break down the legal maze so people can navigate the system with support, not alone. This important work helps expand access to justice for Oregonians who need it most.
 
No appointment necessary—just drop in! Come find out if you qualify.
 

The BHRN team is going over the edge and they need your push! 🧗🧡 Meet Jennifer Smith. She’s already HALFWAY to her $1,00...
08/20/2026

The BHRN team is going over the edge and they need your push! 🧗🧡
 
Meet Jennifer Smith. She’s already HALFWAY to her $1,000 goal and she is just getting started!
 
In her own words:
“Recovery has changed my life so much and I want to help others find the magic of recovery.”
 
That magic is REAL, Jennifer! And on Wednesday, September 30th, Jennifer and the BHRN team will rappel down the Hyatt Centric Portland to help the 31 initial Oregon families find a permanent place to call home through Alyssa Daye Gardens—The Peer Company’s first-ever Permanent Supportive Housing project.
 
Here’s how you can get Jennifer over the edge:
 
If just 5 people donate $100... She’s officially going over the wall on September 30th. 🎉
 
Could you be one of the five?!
 
Head to the BHRN team’s FundRazr page via the link in bio and make your donation today. Every dollar counts. Every dollar brings someone home.
 
👉

https://give.overtheedge.events/72lkdb
 

Your grocery shopping can support The Peer Company. Did we mention at no extra cost to you? Yep, you read that right. 🛒 ...
08/19/2026

Your grocery shopping can support The Peer Company. Did we mention at no extra cost to you? Yep, you read that right. 🛒

Thanks to our amazing community, we’ve already more than doubled our Fred Meyer Community Rewards sign-ups this year! In 2025, we had just 11 households enrolled. In 2026 so far, we’re up to 24 households, and we’d love to reach 40 by the end of the year! 🎉 Seriously, THANK YOU! Our team’s blown away by the support!

Here’s the best part: it costs you nothing, and it takes less time than scrolling Netflix trying to find something to watch. 😅

Here’s how:
1️⃣ Log in to your Fred Meyer account
2️⃣ Search LB405
3️⃣ Find MHAO (our old name—we’re working behind the scenes to get this updated!)
4️⃣ Add us, and you’re done! Fred Meyer will send you an email letting you know you’re enrolled!

Every purchase you make helps support the work we do every day in our community. Thank you again to everyone who’s already signed up. And if you haven’t yet, now’s the perfect time!

Calling all hair stylists, barbers, makeup artists, estheticians, and photographers! Each September during Recovery Mont...
08/18/2026

Calling all hair stylists, barbers, makeup artists, estheticians, and photographers!
 
Each September during Recovery Month, the team at The Peer Company partners with Summit Salon Academy and their students to host The Glow Up: A Day of Self-Care. A special day for our peers to look and feel their best on their recovery journey!
 
We’re looking for talented local volunteers willing to share their skills and time to help make this day beautiful, memorable, and meaningful for dozens of people in our community. Accepted volunteers will need to get transportation to and from Summit Salon in Tigard, OR. Volunteer shifts range from 2-4 hours. Not only do you get to interact with our peers and hear their story, you also get to work with Summit’s incredible students. 💜
 
Save the date! Saturday, September 12th, 2026
 
✅ All donations are tax-deductible
✅ Partners will be featured on our social media, email newsletter, and throughout the event
 
Want to be part of it? Click the link in our bio or head to mhaoforegon.org/the-glow-up to sign up!
 
Know of someone who should volunteer? Forward this post to them!
 
Thank you for helping our peers glow, both inside and out. ✨
 

Did you know that we offer a sabbatical for our employees? Here’s what our EVOLVE Director, Reina Bower, said about enjo...
08/14/2026

Did you know that we offer a sabbatical for our employees?
 
Here’s what our EVOLVE Director, Reina Bower, said about enjoying this time off:
 
“Today is the last day of my sabbatical, and what a huge blessing this time has been. These past two months have been filled with so many moments I’m super grateful for - time with family and friends, adventures, laughter, quiet moments & new experiences. It reminded me how important it is to slow down every once in a while and appreciate the life I’ve worked so hard to build. Tomorrow, I get to return to a career I truly love with a full heart and an even deeper appreciation for the work we do. I’m excited to see my team, jump back in, and continue serving our community.”
 
She goes on to say: “One of the things I’m most grateful for is working for an organization that understands the weight of this work. Supporting people through some of the hardest moments of their lives is an incredible privilege, but it can also be emotionally demanding. I deeply appreciate working for an organization that recognizes the importance of caring for the people who do this work by intentionally giving us time to step away, reconnect with the people and things that matter most, and return with a fresh perspective. That kind of investment speaks volumes about the heart of our organization.”
 
Here at The Peer Company, we believe self-care and making sure your cup is full is incredibly important for our team to be able to show up and help our community. We love that our team is able to take a sabbatical and come back feeling refreshed!
 
Cheers to Reina being able to fill up her cup! AND, we wish her a very Happy Birthday today!! 🥳 Thank you for all that you do, Reina! We’re so happy to have you on the team. 💖
 

Address

8935 SE Powell Boulevard
Portland, OR
97266

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+15039222377

Website

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