Multnomah County Replaces Deflection Center Operator as Program Struggles with Low Utilization
Key Insights
Multnomah County (search) has replaced Tuerk House (search) with Arizona-based Community Bridges (search) to operate its drug deflection center, effective July 1, 2026.
The deflection center has averaged only one to two visitors per day despite operating 24/7, with historically low completion rates of 24%.
Recent program changes have shown early signs of improvement, with completion rates rising to 43% and engagement reaching 90% in a small initial sample.
Multnomah County (search) has quietly replaced the operator of its drug deflection center on Southeast Sandy Boulevard, bringing in Arizona-based nonprofit Community Bridges (search) to take over from Baltimore-based Tuerk House (search) effective July 1, 2026. The transition comes amid persistent scrutiny of the center's underwhelming outcomes since its launch nearly two years ago as part of Oregon's post-decriminalization strategy.
The Coordinated Care Pathway Center, established with millions of dollars in state deflection funds following the repeal of Oregon's drug decriminalization experiment, was designed to offer people caught with illegal narcotics an alternative to prosecution—a place to receive treatment or simply sober up. In practice, the facility has seen an average of just one or two people per day despite being open around the clock.
"We weren't like Tuerk House (search)'s model was bad or anything like that," said Multnomah County (search) Interim Behavioral Health Director Anthony Jordan. "But the Community Bridges (search) model is a little different."
Community Bridges (search), which has grown rapidly in recent years according to tax documents, offers crisis stabilization and behavioral health programs. A spokesperson for the nonprofit said the organization "operates an integrated continuum of behavioral health services," meaning "individuals who enter one of our stabilization centers can be connected more seamlessly to ongoing treatment, peer support, recovery services and community resources, improving the likelihood of long-term success rather than simply addressing the immediate crisis."
Under the initial one-year contract, Community Bridges (search) would receive up to $1.7 million. The organization is also set to run the permanent deflection, sobering, and detox facility the county is building, expected to open in fall 2027.
Early Signs of Program Improvement
The county has implemented several changes in recent months aimed at strengthening the deflection program. These include expanding the pool of eligible offenses, intensifying completion requirements, lengthening the deflection period from 30 to 90 days, and improving coordination between the health department and the District Attorney's office.
Multnomah County (search) District Attorney Nathan Vasquez began charging people who did not successfully complete deflection requirements. A spokesman for the DA's office reported that of nine deflection cases reviewed, seven resulted in charges, while two saw no charges due to evidence-related issues. An additional 14 cases await review.
The county's first report since the changes began rolling out shows the rate of engagement—meaning people took at least one initial step after being referred—was 90%, up from a historic baseline of 70%. Meanwhile, 43% of people referred to the program completed deflection, up from a historic baseline of 24%. However, that 43% encompasses just nine people, making firm conclusions premature.
Persistent Underutilization
Despite these improvements, the absolute number of referrals remains anemic. In the first three months of 2026, the county reported 78 people were referred to deflection—fewer than one per day. Between May 5, 2025, and April 30, 2026, the county counted 168 total sobering visits, approximately one person every two days.
According to state data, law enforcement in Multnomah County (search) arrested 1,570 people for possession of a controlled substance between September 1, 2024, and June 3, 2026—about two or three people per day. In 2025, the DA's office charged an average of one or two people daily with possession.
"The system was initially designed to be deflection out of the criminal justice system, but not to anything in particular," said County Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards, who noted growing disenchantment with the program among law enforcement.
Portland Deputy Police Chief Brian Hughes acknowledged the staffing constraints. "I'll flat out tell you, if I had a bus, I could drive around right now and fill it up with 200 people right this minute," he said. "It's been my opinion that the expectations of the citizens of Portland far exceed the staffing levels that I have to deliver that service."
DA Vasquez echoed this sentiment: "The driver of referrals to deflection are individual police officers on the street. With so many other urgent demands on patrol officers' time, conducting drug enforcement and deflection referral has taken a back seat to other emergency responses."
Brandon del Pozo, a former police officer who researches deflection programs at Brown University, offered a more skeptical view. "Their complaint was, 'Our hands are tied and we can't take enforcement action when we see drugs.' And now they're saying, 'We don't take enforcement action when we see drugs'? I'd interrogate that."
Despite the challenges, Hughes maintains that the program holds value. "Everyone we take over there—it gives somebody hope," he said. "And one thing I've found in this business is: You never want to deprive anybody of hope, because it may be all they have."