Washington County celebrates first successful deflection completion

Washington County is celebrating its first successful deflection program participant completion. Deflection is a statewide program that began last September. The Washington County Deflection Program allows eligible people who are cited or arrested for possession of a controlled substance as a misdemeanor to avoid prosecution and possible fines and jail time.

“The first successful deflection marks a significant milestone in our efforts to support individuals on their path to treatment and recovery,” said Danielle Farr, senior program coordinator with Washington County Behavioral Health and lead for the County’s Deflection Operations Team (DOT). “This person will not face a criminal record or courtroom proceedings and is now moving forward on their recovery journey with a solid foundation, stable employment and housing.”

The DOT is comprised of representatives from Health and Human Services, the District Attorney’s Office, the Sheriff’s Office, Community Corrections, and Behavioral Health Resource Network providers.

A participant has successfully completed the program when the DOT determines they have engaged in substance use treatment and demonstrated they are likely to continue to engage in their recovery efforts after completing the program.

As of January 21, in addition to the one successful completion, 31 individuals were participating in deflection.

“Collaboration with community partners is what sets our deflection program apart,” Farr said. “The efforts of peer case managers with 4D Recovery and Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon, along with 18 other partner organizations, have been critical to the early success of our program.”

To protect the participant’s privacy and recovery efforts, the County will not be releasing any identifying information.

For more information about deflection in Washington County, visit wcor.us/deflection.