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Benton County outlines plan to use HB 4002 funds to create behavioral-health deflection program
Summary
County staff told commissioners May 21 that state House Bill 4002 provides about $231,548 for initial planning or operations to develop a behavioral-health deflection program. County leaders said they will form a coordinating committee, hire a coordinator and use a mix of planning and leveraged local funds while seeking sustainable funding.
Rick Krieger, assistant county administrator, briefed the Board of Commissioners on implementation planning for Oregon House Bill 4002, which creates a Behavioral Health Deflection Program designed to connect people with substance use or behavioral-health needs to services rather than the criminal-justice system.
Krieger told the board the county—s biennial allocation is roughly $231,548 and that the funding can be used for planning or operational costs; funds provided for this biennium must be expended by June 30, 2025. He said counties must form a planning committee that includes law enforcement, the district attorney, community behavioral-health providers and other service organizations and must meet reporting and data requirements to receive state dollars.
"We do not have a deflection program in place yet," Krieger said. He described immediate priorities: establish a project team and hire a coordinator to design workflows, identify who will be eligible for deflection (initially focusing on lower-level offenses), and develop a navigation model that links cited individuals to assessment and services. Krieger advised starting small and scaling: "Think small. And when you think small, think smaller," he said, describing the Marion County model as a local example.
Commissioners discussed sustainability: Krieger said the funding timeline makes continuation a legislative question for the 2025 session and flagged opportunities to braid opioid-settlement and other local funds to support navigation and coordinator roles. Chief Deputy District Attorney Ryan Jocelyn and the sheriff—s office have been engaged in planning, Krieger added; Jocelyn said he supported a measured rollout and welcomed the emphasis on pre-charging diversion.
Board direction: staff will proceed with pre-application work ahead of the July 1 deadline, assemble the required interagency committee, and return with more detailed budgets and an implementation plan for board review and potential application for operational funding.
