Expand 'Portland Street Response' Citywide: PSU Researchers

PORTLAND, OR —It's been six months since Portland launched a "Street Response" program, and it's been a resounding success. So much so that the program should go citywide.

That's the conclusion of a team of researchers from Portland State University who have been monitoring the program.

"Based on our findings, we believe Portland Street Response is well on its way to becoming a citywide solution to responding to 911 and non-emergency calls involving unhoused people and people experiencing a mental health crisis," Greg Townley, director of research at PSU's Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative and the lead evaluator, said.

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The program takes a firefighter EMT, a licensed mental health professional, and two community health workers. They patrol the streets looking to help people experiencing homelessness, mental health crises, or both.

The goal is to take calls off the plates of police officers and firefighters so that they can respond to emergencies.

"We appreciate the in-depth evaluation that the researchers from Portland State University put into their program assessment: we plan to utilize the report’s findings and recommendations as we build Portland Street Response's capacity," Portland Fire & Rescue Chief Sara Boone said.

Examining the program – which started in April in Lents and continues in pilot stage through next spring – Portland State researchers found:

• 4.6% reduction in total calls traditionally responded to by police;
• PSR teams made 44 referrals during initial contact and the community health workers made another 125 during follow-up visits;
• 22.5% reduction in police response on non-emergency welfare checks as well as dispatches coded as “unwanted persons” and “suspicious persons” calls;
• 11.6% reduction in fire department activity on behavioral health calls and illegal burn calls;
• Only 14 calls (3.7%) required transport to ER; and
• Clients rated PSR 5 on a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the best.

Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty praised PSU for their work.

"PSU's 6-month evaluation report includes vital information to understanding PSR’s success and where it can improve moving forward," Hardesty said. "I'm so thankful to everyone at PSU for this extensive work."

As part of the PSU report, comments from a survey of people affected by the program were included.

"My friend lived because of them," one said.