Addiction Response Tactics: Tools for the Front Line-Deflection, Treatment, and Peer Support

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The training explains Oregon’s HB 4002 deflection model, which intervenes before or instead of arrest and connects people to community-based services. Developed with police involvement, it aims to address Measure 110’s weak treatment connections and the harms of arrest-heavy approaches while supporting public safety and recovery.<br /><br />Oregon’s treatment system has major bottlenecks: assessments can take weeks, and the state has only 1,375 of an estimated 3,775 needed residential beds. These shortages create long waits and risk losing people seeking help.<br /><br />Certified peer support specialists can bridge the gap between patrol and treatment. Their lived experience, professional training, and local service knowledge help build trust, make warm handoffs, navigate barriers, and encourage treatment engagement. Officers can use peers as mobile partners who specialize in substance-use support, reducing the burden of referrals and helping people move from crisis toward stability.

Keywords

Oregon HB 4002

deflection model

community-based services

peer support specialists

substance use treatment

public safety