Addiction Response Tactics: Tools for the Front Line-Officer Intervention Deflection and How It's Different from M110

Officer Intervention Deflection and How It's Different from M110

Video Transcription

Video Summary

Dr. Dan Hoover reviews Oregon’s shift from Measure 110 to officer-intervention deflection. Measure 110 struggled because possession tickets rarely connected people to services, behavioral health networks were slow to launch, and workforce and housing shortages delayed spending. Deflection instead lets officers refer people facing possession charges to coordinated treatment and social services, with the charge held in abeyance while they complete a plan. Oregon’s program involves law enforcement, prosecutors, behavioral health providers, and coordinators; warm handoffs are a key goal. Evaluations of similar programs report fewer arrests and legal incidents, improved housing and employment, and reduced justice-system costs.

Keywords

Oregon Measure 110

deflection program

behavioral health services

law enforcement referral

substance use treatment