In a recent push by Multnomah County officials, experts in substance use disorder are calling for an overhaul of the current care system. Citing a dire need for a continuum of services to tackle the crisis, county commissioners heard a unifying plea on Thursday, April 4. Commissioner Sharon Meieran led the charge, highlighting the fragmentation within the existing setup and the urgency for comprehensive action "whether or not we’re the actual entity providing the specific services," she pointed out.
A task force composed of 15 leaders in substance use disorder services presented their consensus to the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners. They proposed a basic framework aimed at forging a complete continuum of care. The existing system, they argue, inadequately addresses the complexities of the crises, those which the COVID-19 pandemic has magnified, the surge in fentanyl misuse, and the homelessness predicament. "Currently we don’t have a continuum of care. Not having a system has resulted in our behavioral health crisis, that preexisted COVID-19, but was absolutely exacerbated and compounded by COVID-19," Meieran said, according to a statement.
The collaboration among various local service providers has been particularly noteworthy, given their past competition for funds. An unexpected consensus was reached among these diverse stakeholders on priorities for substantial investments. These investments are seen as essential steps towards making an impact on this multi-dimensional health issue in the short term.
"What struck me was the community’s spirit and true desire to build a system," Meieran recounted. She emphasized the group's readiness to move beyond theoretical concerns and address real-world issues, "We need to listen to what the people doing the work in the real world have been telling us for decades. And we need to act on it and we can,” she told the assembled commissioners.
