PORTLAND, Ore. — After more than a month of delays, Multnomah County's drug deflection center opened in Southeast Portland on Monday. The center is an alternative to jail time for individuals who qualify for treatment after being caught with small amounts of illegal drugs.
The Coordinated Care Pathway Center, located on Southeast Pine Street off Sandy Boulevard, was originally scheduled to open on Sept. 1 when Oregon recriminalized hard drugs. The county said staffing and renovation challenges were the reasons for the delay.
The drug deflection center won't initially be open 24 hours a day. Instead, it will be more limited, opening from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. at night during the week, and 7 a.m.-3 p.m. on the weekends. People caught with hard drugs have the option to deflect into treatment, rather than being charged and sent through the justice system. They can deflect as long as they don't have any warrants and aren't being detained for any crimes.
As of last week, more than 70 people have been referred to the deflection program, according to Multnomah County. Those cases have led to 136 referrals from outreach workers to services like detox, mental health and housing.
In addition to the drug deflection center, the county has another full-fledged sobering center in the works. It's unclear when it will reopen, but when it does, it will provide 30-50 beds.