Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Deflection Program topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Clatsop County deflection program offers 12-week treatment alternative to prosecution
Summary
Clatsop County's Deflection Program pairs officers with clinicians who offer eligible residents a 12-week treatment pathway; officials say 138 people have been offered the program to date, with 83 enrolling and 36 graduates.
Jen Benoit, host of PodClatsop, spoke with Christina Schultz, Clatsop County Deflection Program coordinator, and Isaiah O'Neil, a clinician with Clatsop Behavioral Healthcare, about how the county diverts some possession cases into treatment rather than prosecution.
"If they can be actively engaged in the program for 12 weeks, then that criminal charge of being in possession of a controlled substance will not go on their record, and it will not go to the DA's office," Schultz said, describing the on-scene offer police make when an eligible Clatsop County resident is found with a controlled substance. Schultz added that the deflection option is designed to implement the intent of House Bill 4002 by offering treatment instead of moving forward on possession charges when participants meet engagement criteria.
Isaiah O'Neil described the clinician role in the initial contact and intake: "When we arrive on the scene, we basically let the officer know, like, hey. We have it from here." He said the program emphasizes a warm handoff where possible and that missed weeks are appended so participants receive the full 12 weeks of required engagement.
Schultz provided recent participation counts: "As of today, we've got 138 clients that have been offered deflection, and 83 of them have entered the program. And as to date, we've had 36 clients graduate, and right now we have 18 clients in the program." She said CBH uses exit surveys to learn what helped participants and to refine the program.
The podcast directs listeners seeking information about eligibility, locations and referrals to clatsopcounty.gov and thanks the participating agencies and clinicians for their work.
