by Ben Botkin, Oregon Capital Chronicle
December 19, 2024
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In Oregon’s largest county, 133 people have started a new program to steer people away from drug addiction and toward recovery.
The figure spans the first three months of Multnomah County’s deflection program, which started Sept. 1 and provides people with opportunities for treatment or other recovery services when they would otherwise face a misdemeanor charge for low-level drug possession.
Twenty-eight of Oregon’s 36 counties have started or plan to start similar programs after the Legislature passed House Bill 4002 this year, which recriminalized low-level drug possession and made about $20 million available to counties statewide for the programs.
Police play a key role in deflection by referring people to the program. In Multnomah County, police referred 205 people to the deflection program in the first three months. Out of that group, 133 started the program, according to preliminary data released Thursday.
“People are initiating deflection, which keeps them out of the legal system and instead connects them to peer support, treatment, recovery and other needed services,” said Marc Harris, strategic initiatives manager for the Multnomah County Health Department. “We have provided hundreds of referrals to services to date.”
Multnomah County operates the Coordinated Care Pathway Center in Portland, which is a place for police to drop people off who may want to participate in deflection programs. The county contracted with Tuerk House, a Baltimore-based drug and alcohol treatment provider, to operate the center at 900 S.E. Sandy Boulevard in Portland’s central eastside district.
The center provides initial health screenings and connections to treatment and other services, like contact with peers who have experienced addiction themselves. The center, which opened Oct. 14, served about 50 people by the end of November.
Under the county’s program, if police stop someone who possesses a small amount of illegal drugs, they are eligible for the program if they are not committing any other crimes and have not failed deflection in the last month.
To successfully finish deflection and avoid charges, a person needs to complete a screening and receive a referral to services. They also need to engage with the recommended services within 30 days. That could include treatment for addiction, or other services like housing depending on their plan.
If someone does not engage within 30 days, they can be arrested and charged with misdemeanor drug possession.
More work is planned in the months ahead to expand services.
The county plans to expand the center this spring and add 13 sobering beds. County officials stressed that long-term work is needed to address the addiction crisis.
“Our deflection program is about human connection. It is that connection that assists us in moving individuals towards a successful recovery journey,” said Anthony Jordan, addictions services manager at Multnomah County Health Department.
The county said there are no reports of increased loitering or criminal activity around the center due to program participants.
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