Pathways to Treatment: Assessing Effectiveness and Implementation of Oregon’s Deflection Programs for People who Use Drugs
Study Information
This study evaluates Oregon’s new deflection programs, which aim to steer people with substance use disorders (SUD) away from the criminal justice system and into treatment and support services. These partnerships between public safety and health agencies include interventions by officers only (OI), a combination of mobile crisis/community response teams with officers (MCCR+OI), and interventions by district attorneys with officers (DA+OI). Investigators are exploring how Oregon’s counties are adopting and implementing these deflection programs through qualitative interviews with leaders from law enforcement, district attorneys, and behavioral health agencies in 12 selected counites. The study team also compares the number of people enrolled in each of the three deflection program types across all 36 counties via administrative data. In addition, through a survey with 900 people who use drugs across 12 counties (75 in each of the selected 12 counties), the team is analyzing how well the programs reduce criminal justice system involvement and increase treatment uptake.
Grant number: 1R01DA064497
Link to NIH Reporter record: https://reporter.nih.gov/search/xry4lJUoGE6ouyxpwpqWbg/project-details/11261477
Study Team
PI: Alex H. Kral, Hope Smiley-McDonald
- Determine how Oregonโs counties are adopting, implementing, and maintaining deflection programs
- Assess the reach of the three types of deflection programs at the county level
- Determine the effectiveness of the three types of deflection programs in reducing criminal legal system involvement and increasing substance use disorder treatment for people who use drugsโ
Mixed Methods