MIRECC / CoE

Executive Leadership at VISN 20 MIRECC

James Boehnlein, M.D.

Associate Director for Education
VA Northwest Network Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC) VA Portland Health Care System (VAPORHCS);
Professor of Psychiatry, Oregon Health and Science University 

After completing psychiatry residency training at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), Dr. Boehnlein was a VA/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholar at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center and University of Pennsylvania, where he received his masters in medical anthropology.

He has been Associate Director for Education for the VA Northwest MIRECC since its inception in 1998, has been the Director of Medical Student Education for OHSU's Department of Psychiatry since 1993, and was OHSU's Assistant Dean for Curriculum from 1997-2005. For the past 24 years he has been a staff psychiatrist at the Portland VAMC Mental Health Clinic and at OHSU's Intercultural Psychiatric Program, where he has treated Southeast Asian and Central American refugees.

His research has focused on cross-cultural psychiatry (particularly cultural and anthropological perspectives on posttraumatic stress disorder, and long-term adjustment of traumatized refugees), the interface of culture and medical ethics, spiritual issues in psychiatry and psychological trauma, and on medical education.
He is board certified in both general and forensic psychiatry. He is currently President of the Society for the Study of Psychiatry and Culture, an international association of psychiatric and social science researchers and educators.

Browse facilities by state

VA VISN 20 consists of four states across three time zones; Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. The primary research center located at VA Puget Sound Health Care System (VAPSHCS) is affiliated with University of Washington (UW). VAPSHCS serves Veterans from a five-state area in the Pacific Northwest with two main divisions: American Lake and Seattle. Veterans in Washington are also served by VA Medical Centers in Spokane, Vancouver, and Walla Walla. In Washington, there are VA Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC's) located in Bellevue, Bremerton, Chehalis, Edmunds, Everett, Federal Way, Mount Vernon, Olympia, Port Angeles, Puyallup, Richland, Renton, Silverdale, Seattle, Wenatchee, and Yakima. The research center located at VA Portland Heath Care System (VAPORHCS) is affiliated with Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU). VAPORHCS serves Veterans from Oregon and Southwest Washington with two main divisions: Portland and Vancouver. Veterans in Oregon are also served by VA Medical Centers in Roseburg and White City. In Oregon, there are CBOC's located in Bend, Boardman, Brookings, Enterprise, Eugene, Fairview, Grants Pass, Hines, Hillsboro, Klamath Falls, LaGrande, Lincoln City, Newport, Portland, Salem, The Dalles, Warrenton, and West Linn. VA provides health care for Veterans from providers in your local community outside of VA. Veterans may be eligible to receive care from a community provider when VA cannot provide the care needed.

Vet Centers in the VISN 20 Health Care Network are community-based counseling centers that provide a wide range of social and psychological services, including professional readjustment counseling to eligible Veterans, active-duty Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Air Force, and Space Force service members, including National Guard and Reserve components, and their families. 1-877-WAR-VETS is an around the clock confidential call center where Veterans, service members and their families can talk about their military experience or any other issue they are facing in transitioning after military service or trauma and get connected to their nearest Vet Center.

Explore VA.gov

VA has a variety of mental health resources, information, treatment options, and more — all accessible to Veterans, Veterans’ supporters, and the general public. Explore the pages below to learn more about a specific mental health topic. Each of these pages includes resources, information on treatment options, and more.

Stories of Support