Homeless people are often exposed to dangerous and unhealthy conditions. Our homeless community members experience traffic injuries and fatalities at much higher rates, are much more likely to be victims of crime, and often lack access to medical treatment.
The City maintains specialized public safety teams who respond to crises, emergencies and non-emergencies and help people get into better situations.
Portland Street Response
Portland Street Response offers compassionate mobile crisis response for people experiencing non-life- threatening mental or behavioral health crises. All services are confidential, voluntary, and free of charge. We're staffed with medical personnel, licensed mental health crisis workers, case managers, and peer support specialists. We're dispatched as unarmed, trauma-informed first responders for non-life threatening (but crisis-related) calls.
2025 Portland Street Response data indicates that 68% of response calls are to people who identify as houseless. Because call criteria is restricted to outside and public places, many Portland Street Response clients are houseless. PSR works with houseless populations to provide crisis intervention, stabilization and medical care. PSR assists individuals experiencing mental and behavioral health crises, connecting them to shelter, day centers and general safety net services with compassion.
Community Health Assess and Treat (CHAT)
CHAT is an innovative emergency response program operated by Portland Fire & Rescue. CHAT teams provide assessment, treatment, and follow-up for support. Our teams:
- Respond to overdose calls.
- Assist 911 callers with non-emergency health concerns, providing immediate care and connecting them to long-term resources like doctors, health plans, and treatment options.
- Educate the community on how to access the right healthcare services, so 9-1-1 is used only for true emergencies.
- Reduce unnecessary emergency room visits for minor medical issues.
- Keep fire and ambulance crews available for life-threatening emergencies.
Community Health Assess and Treat (CHAT)
Portland Police Behavioral Health Response Team
The mission of the Behavioral Health Response Team is to aid people in behavioral crisis resulting from known or suspected mental illness and/or drug and alcohol addiction.
About 8% of all police calls for service involve a mental health component. All Portland Police Bureau officers receive basic Mental Health Response Training/Crisis Intervention Training, as well as annual mental health refresher training.
Behavioral Health Response Teams connect people with appropriate mental health services. Teams are comprised of an officer and mental health clinician who work in partnership.
The Portland Police Bureau is committed to continuous improvement in our delivery of service to Portland's most vulnerable communities.
Behavioral Health Response Team
Portland Park Rangers
Portland Park Rangers serve as goodwill ambassadors and provide a positive public safety presence in Portland parks. They are not law enforcement officers, but are trained in proactive engagement, de-escalation, trauma-informed communication, educational approaches to enforcement, threat assessment, anti-bias training and more. Our training regimen emphasizes dignity and respect for all park visitors to promote equity and reduce disparities.
When necessary, our team works closely with partners to solve complex problems in our parks. We work with the Portland Solutions, Homeless Services Department, Portland Street Response, JOIN, Multnomah County Animal Control, Multnomah County River Patrol, neighborhood groups, Portland Police Bureau, Office of Civic Life, and others in creating safer parks.