Oregon counties report early wins, operational hurdles in behavioral-health deflection programs

Oregon lawmakers heard updates from Benton, Multnomah, Lane and Clackamas counties on local “deflection” programs that offer people cited for low-level controlled-substance offenses a path into treatment instead of immediate prosecution.

The Joint Committee on Addiction and Community Safety Response took the testimony during an informational hearing in which county prosecutors, program coordinators and behavioral-health staff described different models, eligibility rules and early outcomes.

The counties say the programs aim to reduce arrests and keep people out of the criminal court system by offering peer support, case management and treatment referrals at the point of contact with law enforcement. Presenters emphasized the programs are new, operate under different local policies and rely heavily on community behavioral-health partners, transportation and housing resources.

Multnomah County reported the largest early caseload. “We have had 212 individuals referred into the deflection program,” Multnomah Deflection Program Supervisor Natalie Amar told the committee, and the county has 34 confirmed completions so far. Multnomah operates a staffed facility called the Coordinated Care Pathway Center where people can receive medical screening, brief substance-use assessments,…