PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Efforts to create a partnership between law enforcement and outreach workers are ready to launch after a pilot program found success in getting people off the streets and into treatment, according to city leaders.
The Provider-Police Joint Connection Project began as a partnership between the Mental Health and Addiction Association of Oregon (MHAAO) and the Portland Police Bureau’s Bike Squad, which proved successful after it was launched as a pilot program in December 2023.
Located in the heart of downtown Portland, the leased space at Mercy Corps’ headquarters coordinated efforts to help people struggling with addiction and connected them with services for treatment and housing options while building trust within the community.
However, the hub in question was not client-facing or a place where people could go to receive assistance. The Mercy Corps building was only available for law enforcement and outreach professionals, providing a space for them to operate.
Now the outreach hub is getting a permanent base of operations with funding from the City of Portland, Multnomah County and the state. The first year will cost about a quarter of a million dollars.
The hub works by outreach teams making contact with street people with mental health and addiction issues and directly connecting them to treatment programs that have space available.
This development comes before House Bill 4002 goes into effect on Sept. 1—effectively resuming the use of criminal penalties for those who possess drugs in the state after years under the controversial Measure 110.
Stay with KOIN 6 News as this story develops.
