There is a different story to tell on Measure 110

New treatment facilities are beginning to open thanks to funding from Measure 110, providing hope for both people who struggle with substance use and the community

When the New York Times came to town recently to cover Portland’s fentanyl crisis, they didn’t call me. They didn’t call me or any of the other Measure 110 providers who are also on the streets of Portland connecting people with substance use recovery services. I wish they had. Because we have a story to tell.

Measure 110 shifted our state’s approach to addiction from a criminal one to a public health approach. Across the state substance use treatment funded by Measure 110 increased 44% from July to December last year. The number of people receiving treatment through Measure 110 providers far outpaces the people receiving citations. It’s time to stop using citations as a measurement of the effectiveness of treatment.

The reporter should have talked to providers to get the true story here. They should have shadowed us on the streets of Portland. That’s the real story of the miracle that is happening with Measure 110.

My organization, Recovery Works NW, is rapidly expanding substance use treatment services. This week we are holding a grand opening celebration for Oregon’s first Measure 110-funded detox center in Oregon. This 16-bed Portland facility will serve at least 1,200 people a year, dramatically slashing our waitlist for services. It will be staffed by physicians, nurses, support, and administrative staff, providing  24/7 care where people experiencing dangerous substance addictions can be weaned off under medical supervision. Individuals will stay an average of 5 days before being offered a transition to alcohol and drug treatment and/or supported housing. Medications to support abstinence and reduce overdose will be made available to all patients.

In our experience, this is a more effective model because too often when people are released from the artificial environment of in-patient services - whether those are delivered in a facility or a prison - they do not have the skills they need to adapt to the real world and long-term recovery can be difficult.

This is one of three new facilities we are opening thanks to Measure 110. Last month we opened a full-service medical and behavioral health outpatient clinic in Newberg offering desperately needed services to at least 400 additional adults in rural Oregon experiencing substance addictions and later this year we will open another clinic in the Portland area.

The Measure 110 local Behavioral Health Resource Networks (BHRNs) are active in every county. These networks of providers work collectively, responding to the deadly fentanyl wave that has washed over our country. We are part of the Indigeninity BHRN, which focuses on services for people who have been underserved by the system: BIPOC and LGBTQIA2S+ Oregonians. Here’s what else our BHRN partners are doing:

●      The Oregon Change Clinic has used Measure 110 dollars to revamp a dilapidated hotel just south of downtown Portland, providing housing and intensive outpatient recovery services.

●      Miracles Club of Portland has opened two recovery houses serving African-Americans in our community. This provider and several other providers are also using M110 dollars to fund street outreach to build the relationships necessary to get people connected to services, which is much more effective than arrests or criminalization.

●      Quest Integrative Services has increased capacity 25%, serving 500 more people, and opened the first recovery home in Oregon for LGBTQIA2S+ individuals.

Everyone in Oregon would agree that it took too long for Measure 110 funding to get out the door to increase substance use services and provide treatment without punishment. But in 2023, the Measure 110 approach is starting to take hold. Before Measure 110 our clients had to deal with the economic barriers stemming from a criminal record that only worsens cycles of poverty, mental health issues, and drug use. Treating illness through the criminal system is both ineffective and expensive. Already nearly $40 million was reinvested from Oregon's criminal legal system to addiction service and we are proudly putting those dollars to work.

Those who say we need to recriminalize addiction to get people into care don’t see the waiting lists of those seeking help. People don’t need to be arrested; they need treatment doors to open. Measure 110 can’t make up for all the chronic underfunding of Oregon’s behavioral health programs, but we are adding essential capacity to the system and we are bringing hope and recovery to our communities. It would be expensive, foolhardy, and cruel to the people we serve to turn back now.

Joe Bazeghi (MBA, PSS-MH, CRM, IFS Level 1) is director of engagement for Recovery Works NW and a person with lived experience in recovery.