County signs contract with nationally-recognized Tuerk House to operate Deflection Center
Baltimore-based drug and alcohol treatment provider selected in competitive solicitation process
Multnomah County, Ore. (July 23, 2024) — Multnomah County on Monday signed a contract with Tuerk House, a Baltimore-based drug and alcohol treatment provider, to operate its Deflection Center beginning Sept. 1, 2024.
Tuerk House is a nationally recognized expert in drug and alcohol treatment and offers a full range of care to families and communities at every stage in their recovery journey. They bring nearly 50 years of experience operating crisis stabilization and short-term sobering services to people under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. This uniquely positions them to provide deflection services in our community.
Tuerk House was one of numerous providers to participate in a competitive solicitation process in June 2024. After a transparent and independent review, they emerged as a top choice.
“This is a crucial milestone in our efforts to give law enforcement the option to connect people in our community with treatment instead of jail as House Bill 4002 takes effect,” Chair Jessica Vega Pederson said. “Tuerk House knows how to do this and will bring decades of experience to this effort.”
Under House Bill 4002, Oregon recriminalized possession of a small amount of drugs beginning Sept. 1. But as part of that bill, legislators included provisions for some people to have the opportunity to pursue treatment. In response, Multnomah County is planning a Deflection Center where police can bring people carrying smaller amounts of illicit drugs.
The County has leased a facility on 900 S.E. Sandy Blvd. and is building a drop-off program that will screen individuals, connect them to trained peers to help people move toward recovery, and identify pathways to detox and treatment. Planning and design is underway for sobering services in early 2025 and a permanent center in 2026.
Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards and other County officials in January toured Tuerk House in Baltimore on a survey of sobering services across the country to study successful models that the County might be able to learn from to establish and operate a permanent 24-7 First Responder Drop Off Sobering Center.
Multnomah County thanks Tuerk House and the other applicants for stepping up to provide a much-needed service in our community. The County remains on track to opening an operational deflection center by Sept. 1, 2024.