Incoming DA Vasquez ‘not in agreement’ with Multnomah County’s latest drug treatment plan

Just weeks before it’s set to open, newly-elected District Attorney Nathan Vasquez told OPB that he’s “not in agreement” with Multnomah County’s plan to open a deflection center in Southeast Portland.

“I hope we will eventually have a deflection program that offers support to those in need and provides accountability to our community,” Vasquez said in a statement to OPB. “My biggest concern remains the lack of an accessible sobering center, which we urgently need. I will keep pushing for that as we move forward.”

Along with concerns of how feasible it will be to get the facility up and running in a few weeks, Vasquez said there are ongoing questions about how many people will be served based on current requirements.

According to county officials, people using drugs may not be eligible to receive care at the center.

“People will be appropriate for deflection if they are deemed eligible by law enforcement, are able to make a decision to go, and not in need of urgent or immediate medical or behavioral health care,” Multnomah County spokesperson Ryan Yambra said in a text to OPB. “If someone is too intoxicated to consent, then they are not appropriate for the center.”

Related: Multnomah County, Portland leaders outline drug deflection plan

When asked directly if people who are currently using drugs can go to the center, Yambra said “it depends.”

“If someone is at high risk of medical complications, violence, psychological concerns, etc., they will be transported to a crisis stabilization center, emergency department or hospital” he clarified.

This week, Multnomah County provided its most detailed plan yet for how its deflection program will operate once Oregon law changes on Sept. 1 and drug possession becomes a criminal penalty once again.

Across the state, counties are setting up deflection programs, partnerships between behavioral health providers and police. Lawmakers say they intended them as tools to get people into treatment outside of the criminal justice system, even as new criminal penalties go into effect. Each county is designing its own unique program, funded through a $20 million state grant.

In Multnomah County, officials are attempting an ambitious plan to set up a temporary deflection center where police can take people arrested for drug possession so they can access treatment, instead of going to jail.

“There has been criticism about not having a plan, but we are building a deflection system that includes mobile outreach, leverages peer support, and finally creates a drop-off center for law enforcement,” Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson said during a news conference last month. “I am standing here today with a building, with a provider, a good neighbor committee, security, transportation, and a clear understanding about what deflection is.”

But the plan has divided the county with many saying officials are rushing to implement something thin on details, while leaving questions about safety and what will actually happen at the center unanswered.

In a 57-page document sent to commissioners late Wednesday, the county laid out new details about its deflection plan.

According to the document, the county is focusing on an iterative plan that takes place in three phases. In the first phase, a “certified peer will welcome and receive clients brought to the center by law enforcement from the moment they arrive.”

The center won’t operate 24/7 at first, according to Yambra, and won’t initially include the 13-16 sobering beds that are part of a second phase of the county’s deflection plan.

According to the draft, the facility will be operated by the Baltimore nonprofit Tuerk House, which provides alcohol and drug treatment. It will have showers and offer “a safe space for respite, shelter, food, hydration, bathrooms” and will conduct “assessments, screening and connection to treatment and recovery services,” the document states.

The plan also acknowledges a number of risks that the county has identified in opening the facility so quickly.

For one, the building is still being constructed. According to the document, the work is “on track to be completed near Sept. 1,” and staff need to be able to access it ahead of opening. In the event that the facility isn’t up and running by that date, “project teams are pursuing options to offer field-based deflection services,” according to the document.

Other risks the county has noted include finding and training staff in time for opening, developing protocols for law enforcement referrals to the center, and developing a secure system and process for data collection.

Related: Months before taking office, Multnomah County’s DA-elect is shaping drug policy

Ultimately, the biggest challenge will be timing.

“Many elements of a successful program implementation have to come together quickly in order to open on time, keep clients and the community safe, and meet law enforcement needs for effective deflection,” the plan states.

The location of the center in inner Southeast Portland’s Buckman neighborhood has also drawn some ire from neighbors and local businesses. County officials are developing a “good neighbor agreement” that will be in place by Sept. 1, according to the plan, and include details of how the county will keep the facility “peaceful and orderly”, establish lines of communication and detail a process for raising issues, as well as public safety concerns.

Despite these issues, Vasquez said he believes the county’s plan is better than it was and hopes to keep working with county leaders on other changes.

County commissioners plan to discuss the plan next week, as well as a proposal that could delay its opening.