PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – After months of relying on law enforcement to refer drug users to its 24/7 sobering services, Multnomah County is broadening its reach with the help of new referral partners.
The new partnerships include Portland Street Response, Project Respond, Community Health Assess and Treat (CHAT), Mental Health and Addiction Association of Oregon (MHAAO), and 4D Recovery.
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Before the change, only police offering deflection — a system that allows drug users to seek treatment rather than serve jail time — could refer people to the county’s sobering services at the Coordinated Care Pathway Center.
The county announced its expansion on Tuesday, and the change went into effect immediately…