In 2024 Oregon House Bill 4002 created the Oregon Behavioral Health Deflection Program to provide grant funding for deflection programs that assist individuals whose behavioral health conditions, including substance use disorder, lead to interactions with law enforcement, incarceration, conviction and other engagement with the criminal legal system. On April 1, 2025, the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission (CJC) released its report, as required by HB 4002, that identifies best practices and funding recommendations through emerging evidence and common practices for deflection nationally and examines Behavioral Health Deflection programs in Oregon. Dr. Elizabeth Waddell, OHSU-PSU School of Public Health, provides findings from the report to the Oregon legislative Joint Committee on Addiction and Community Safety Response hearing held at the CJC Summit in March 2025. Legislators of the Joint Committee also heard from participants about their deflection experiences in the communities.
BHD Report: https://www.oregon.gov/cjc/CJC%20Document%20Library/2025%20BHD%20Best%20Practices%20Report.pdf
Elizabeth Waddell, Ph.D. https://www.ohsu.edu/people/elizabeth-needham-waddell-phd
HB4002 https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2024R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/HB4002/Enrolled