In a shift from the original plans, Multnomah County's anticipated Coordinated Care Pathway Center, dedicated to deflection and sobering services, is now projected to open its doors later this fall. Chair Jessica Vega Pederson announced the center, which was originally set to commence operations on September 1, has been pushed back to a mid-to-late October opening to ensure adequate staffing and training levels are achieved, according to Multnomah County.
Due to the delay, the County has decided to momentarily offer deflection through mobile outreach teams that consist of behavioral health providers and professional peer specialists. These teams will work closely with law enforcement, assisting and connecting eligible individuals to appropriate services. Multnomah County is also actively finalizing medical and procedural guidelines to better support law enforcement officers in determining when to safely and effectively refer individuals for deflection.
"I've stated we will open the Coordinated Care Pathway Center as long as we are ready and can safely provide deflection services," revealed Chair Vega Pederson. "After listening to subject-matter experts, neighbors and the community, we are going to take the additional time we need to open in a way that's safest for the people we are trying to serve, for staff, and for our community." The change comes amid shifting legal frameworks, such as Oregon's House Bill 4002, which reintroduces a misdemeanor penalty for the unlawful possession of small amounts of controlled substances and provides an option for treatment instead of legal consequences, as cited by Multnomah County.
To bring this vision to life, Multnomah County has been working closely with local law enforcement and behavioral health experts, planning mobile resources and the deflection center as part of a larger deflection program. The soon-to-be-launched center is the first of its kind in Oregon, but must first overcome hurdles such as staffing shortages, a remnant challenge from the long-gone COVID-19 pandemic era that has left the nation with a scarcity of nurses. Tuerk House Inc., the behavioral health provider with over half a century of experience and tasked with staffing the center, needs to recruit and train a qualified workforce to run the center effectively.
