The member of the state panel that advises Oregon’s Health Authority on mental health policies and best practices identifies as a turtle.
JD Holt is also known as “JD Terrapin” on Facebook. He’s one of the roughly twenty “consumers” who make up OHA’s Consumer Advisory Council. This council is established under administrative law and appointed by Dr. Sejal Hathi of the OHA, who, in turn, was appointed by Tina Kotek, a Democrat.
The OCAC’s purpose is to provide Hathi with advice on mental health care provided by the state through the use of investigations and current practice reviews.
“Hello everybody, it’s JD. My pronouns are they, them, and turtle. Holt, who lives in Springfield-Eugene, said, “I’m part of this council because I live in that area.” Holt spoke during a virtual OCAC on Dec. 20, describing “turtlegender,” also known as “tortoisegender,” a xenogender identifier in which one has a “gendered relationship with turtles.”
The site states: “One might feel that the gender they are describing is replaced with a turtle, or the best way to describe their gender would be by using turtles.”
A member of the OHA introduced himself as “Luke A Shooting Star” during a meeting on December 17.
OHA stated that the opinions and perspectives of every Consumer Advisory Council member are “highly valued.”
Amber Shoebridge, OHA spokesperson, said: “According to Oregon law, each member of the Oregon Consumer Advisory Council has lived experience and brings voices of those who have faced behavioral health challenges across the entire state.”
Shoebridge, in response to questions regarding how Hathi appoints members of the Committee, said that it’s a collaborative effort by existing council members, the seven-member panel appointed by the Council, and the Director, who makes the final decisions. Shoebridge said that the selected individuals “represent independent consumer-run groups, consumer-run advocacy groups, and consumer-operated advisory councils who are active in or have their headquarters here.”
The advisory council’s duties include, but are not limited to, the “investigation,” “evaluation,” and “recommendations” of resources for behavioral health in the state. The OCAC is responsible for developing a plan of action with goals and recommendations every year. It also has the power to create “committees that investigate certain areas of interest with Behavioral health services.”
Last year, the rules governing the council were revised, and legislators in other states have taken measures to enhance its influence on decisions regarding mental health policies. In time to publish, OHA didn’t respond to any questions regarding the amount of money allocated to the OCAC. However, the OHA website states that the budget for 2023-2025 is $35.8 billion.
According to the administrative law that established the panel, each council member is elected for two years.
Fox News reviewed Holt’s public Facebook posts and found that Holt had promoted “anarchist-like” causes, encouraging people to block immigration enforcement.
Holt posted a Facebook post on Jan. 29 entitled “WHAT TO do at an ICE checkpoint, SPECIALLY if you are white and/or feel the need to jam up the works.” Holt wrote a Facebook message on Jan. 29. Holt’s Facebook post encouraged readers to shout and scream and “make their job as difficult and uncomfortable as possible” at immigration officials.
