The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners voted Thursday, Dec. 6 to allocate $3.8 million to cover capital improvement costs to the Coordinated Care Pathway Center in Southeast Portland – a $1.8 million increase from previous estimates. The new funding is necessary to complete construction on the center and deliver much-anticipated sobering services by Spring of 2025.
The Pathway Center offers an alternative to incarceration for eligible individuals experiencing addiction, providing them with access to treatment, case management and a range of services to enter recovery. In a presentation to the Board, health and public safety leaders outlined early successes and challenges since the center’s opening in October 2024.
In its first month, law enforcement referred 74 people to the Pathway Center for services instead of to jail. The Pathway Center has provided 268 referrals to participants for services, programs and resources, such as housing, recovery support, and outpatient care.
The Pathway Center is designed to help individuals transition from addiction to recovery. After law enforcement officers bring them to the center, the individual is paired with a professional peer specialist and a nurse, who recommend a care plan crafted to address their unique needs.
Bernard Gyebi-Foster, the chief executive officer of Tuerk House, the County contractor operating the center, said it often takes multiple attempts for people to achieve recovery, but that each interaction they have marks progress.
“Substance use disorder is a chemical disease in the brain,” Gyebi-Foster said. “We can’t heal it with one interaction. The fact that most people are accepting referrals to treatment is progress.”
Law enforcement agencies, including the Portland Police Bureau, have been key partners in the initiative. Acting Central Precinct Commander Brian Hughes highlighted how the program diverts individuals from the criminal justice system into recovery services.
“Today, we’ve successfully diverted approximately one-third of drug-related cases toward treatment and support services,” Hughes said. He underscored the need for a sobering center, which could provide immediate care and reduce strain on police resources.
While the center has had a promising start, staffing shortages in the Portland Police Bureau have limited the interactions on the street that determine the officers’ ability to refer individuals to the center.
The shortage of inpatient and outpatient treatment across Oregon is also having an impact. While Tuerk House staff refer deflection participants to behavioral health services, immediate access to inpatient programs—such as detox—remains an ongoing challenge. Under Multnomah County’s deflection plan, participants have 30 days to follow up on the referrals they are given.
Commissioner Shannon Singleton addressed what she views as potential opportunities to partner with existing homelessness providers who may serve people eligible for deflection.
“Our ending homelessness providers have a lot of relationships already with the people who are accessing the service, but I don’t see them anywhere in your ecosystem and how they’re able to either refer or provide that support," she said. “I actually think they can do a lot to navigate to those referrals as well as provide that ongoing support as that person also tries to get back into housing.”
Experts say the range of services a participant can access through referrals—from applying for health insurance, shelter and housing and even food programs—helps stabilize and move individuals toward recovery. They also say that making the human connection to peer specialists is a time tested step to help.
Given the lack of sobering services in the community, the County plans to expand the center’s services in 2025 to offer 13 sobering stations. They will also begin offering medication-assisted treatment to help people manage withdrawal. And more first responders will have the option of referring individuals to the Pathway Center, including fire and emergency response teams. A permanent facility to house these expanded efforts is slated for 2026.
But to build sobering capacity, Multnomah County needs to make improvements to the temporary facility. Facilities experts initially projected a $2 million capital improvement project. But unexpected construction challenges have raised costs by $1.8 million.
“We embarked on this project with incomplete information to meet an aggressive timeline,” said Dan Zalkow, the County’s facilities director, during a recent board meeting. “The original $2 million budget did not account for the extensive renovations required.”
The overruns sparked discussion about why costs have increased. Commissioner Sharon Meieran expressed concern about the additional $1.8 million request. “I am stunned by how much these costs have risen,” Commissioner Meieran said.
While Meieran voted against the additional funding, other Board members emphasized the need to complete the project. Chair Jessica Vega Pederson acknowledged the challenges but said the investments are crucial for public health and safety.
“This has been a big lift, but it represents a significant leadership milestone for this board,” Chair Vega Pederson said. “The center is already making an impact, deflecting individuals from jail and giving them a real chance at recovery.”
The temporary center is paving the way for a larger, permanent facility slated to open in 2026. The new center will include sobering recliners, crisis stabilization services, and medication-assisted treatment, further expanding its capacity to serve the community.
“For me that’s the bigger game changer for our community—to have that permanent and much more comprehensive resource,” said Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards, who has led efforts to launch a 24/7 dropoff and sobering center in Multnomah County.
“While this program is still in its infancy, we’re encouraged by what we’ve seen so far,” said Portland Police Commander Hughes. “Every individual diverted from jail is a victory for public safety and a step toward breaking the cycle of addiction.”
Despite the increased capital costs, Chair Vega Pederson expressed confidence in the Pathway Center’s mission.
“We have to keep sight of the bigger picture,” Chair Vega Pederson said. “This program is saving lives and transforming how we approach addiction in our community.”
