Oregon voters approved Measure 110 in November 2020, decriminalizing the personal possession of illegal drugs. The measure redirected marijuana tax revenue from counties, the existing Mental Health Alcoholism and Drug Services Account, and alcohol and drug abuse prevention programs to fund new drug addiction treatment and recovery program grants. Under the measure, the grants are allocated “to existing agencies or organizations to create Addiction Recovery Centers (Centers) to provide immediate triage of the acute needs of people who use drugs and to assess and address ongoing needs through intensive case management and linkage to care and services.” The measure requires that at least one center be established and operational within each Coordinated Care Organization (CCO) service area by October 31, 2021. That same year, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health ranked Oregon third for substance use disorders.
Measure 110 required the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to establish an Oversight and Accountability Council to determine how grant funds are distributed and to oversee the treatment centers. The 17-member council must be comprised of qualified individuals with experience in substance use disorder treatment and other addiction services representing specific stakeholders.
SB 755 in 2021 stipulates that program grants under Measure 110 must be disbursed such that at least one Behavioral Health Resource Network (BHRN) is established and operational within each county by January 1, 2022. However, as of June 2, when state agency heads, concerned advocates, and the Secretary of State’s Audit Division testified before the interim Senate Committee on Judiciary and Measure 110 Implementation and House Interim Committee On Behavioral Health, only two of Oregon’s 36 counties had active BHRNs.
Advocates and services providers expressed frustration and concern about the expected consequences of continued delay in treatment funding, including loss of treatment facilities and staff, and the harms of unmet need in Oregon communities.
The Secretary of State is required to perform regular financial and performance audits on the uses and effectiveness of the fund, the first by December 2022, including data on the number of Class E drug violations issued and the race of people who have received citations. The Legislature received preliminary findings of the first audit in June with final results expected in the fall.
Preliminary audit findings indicated a lack of specific roles and responsibilities at the OHA; insufficient support for the Oversight and Accountability Council; inefficient grant evaluation process; grant management and data reporting work in progress, but incomplete; and conflict of interest mechanisms appear reasonable.
Of additional concern to Local Mental Health Authorities is the council’s decision to remove the requirement for memoranda of understanding between program grantees and Community Mental health programs to coordinate care.
To ensure that community members experiencing problem drug use are effectively connected to treatment and support services, the Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) legislative affairs team is coordinating with partners and AOC Public Safety and Health and Human Services Steering Committees to identify consensus solutions to Measure 110 implementation issues for the 2023 Legislative Session.
Contributed by: Jessica Pratt | Legislative Affairs Manager