PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland Street Response program manager Lielah Leighton has resigned, marking the second departure from the top job at the homeless and mental health services program since it launched.
PSR is continuing to function "without interruption" under interim manager April Roa, according to Dan Douthit, public information officer for Portland's Public Safety Services Area, which includes PSR.
Leighton's decision to step away, first reported by OPB, comes after about a year-and-a-half in the role. Leighton informed Community Safety Division deputy director Elizabeth Perez of her decision in an Oct. 29 letter, stating that it was due to personal reasons but that she didn't want to elaborate further.
Her letter outlined a plan to inform upper level staff at Portland Street Response the following day and the rest of the team the day after that, and asked for her last day to be either Nov. 1 or Nov 4. She thanked Perez for her support and said she believed the program had made some "serious changes" that "set PSR up for long-term success."
"Lielah stepped up to lead Portland Street Response during a significant inflection point in the program and I am grateful for her leadership during such a pivotal time," Perez said in a statement to KGW. "PSR is on the right track due to strong and committed leadership and the dedication of each staff person to meet our community’s needs. I hope Lielah the best in her future endeavors."
Portland Street Response gives 911 dispatchers the option of sending teams of unarmed crisis counselors and paramedics to nonviolent mental and behavioral health calls, with the intention of providing a more appropriate and effective response for people undergoing mental health crises and freeing up police officers for more urgent calls.
It launched in early 2021 as a pilot program within the Portland Fire Bureau, which at the time was run by former City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty. The pilot stage limited the program to a portion of Southeast Portland, but it expanded quickly and ultimately went citywide in 2022.
The program has found a lot of success and praise, but it's also faced growing pains and arguments about its future direction, particularly after control of the fire bureau passed to Commissioner Rene Gonzalez, who defeated Hardesty in the 2022 election. The program was moved earlier this year to fall within the city's Community Safety Division, a separate branch of the Public Safety Service Area from the fire bureau.
