Portlanders experiencing mental and behavioral health crises will soon have expanded support from Portland Street Response (PSR), the city program that dispatches unarmed response teams during non-life-threatening mental or behavioral health crises.
New policies will now allow PSR to shuttle at-risk individuals to critical services and resources, enter certain public places, join police officers and firefighters at emergencies, and better connect vulnerable Portlanders with resources and services – building on the program’s success since it launched in 2021.
We are honored to announce the following policy changes to PSR, which will go into effect on March 6, 2025:
PSR responders will have enhanced ability to connect clients to services and resources by shuttling clients to:
- Temporary Alternative Shelter Sites (TASS)
- Shelter (including temporary shelters, motel/hotel, designated shelter beds, or other shelter)
- Day use resources center
- Addiction treatment, detox, and/or sobering centers
- Food pantries
They can now respond inside certain public places, including:
- Lobbies of government buildings during regular business hours
- Privately owned businesses that are open to the public like restaurants, retail or grocery stores during regular business hours
Co-response policy alongside Portland Police, Portland Fire & Rescue, & AMR:
- These policies will allow PSR to move forward as a first responder team and will provide an opportunity for traditional first responders to call in a PSR team when the initial call doesn’t meet PSR criteria. In other words, PSR will be able to respond to more call types and provide services to people in crisis.
“Portland Street Response is a success story, and expanding its capabilities was a key campaign promise,” Mayor Wilson said. “These new policies empower our dedicated PSR teams to shuttle at-risk individuals to services including lifesaving shelter, recovery services, day centers, and more. Once these changes have been fully implemented, PSR personnel will be able to respond to more call types, connect more individuals to the help they need most, and create better outcomes for those they serve.”
PSR looks forward to continuing to work with its labor partners toward implementing these policies as soon as possible.
“We are humbled by the overwhelming support of the community and our first response partners in addressing PSR’s needs. These policies improve the system as a whole and provide PSR more access to clients and streamlined care for individuals experiencing non-life-threatening crises,” PSR Interim Program Manager April Roa said.
FAQ’s:
Connection to Services/Resources
- Will PSR always shuttle clients?
- Voluntary client shuttling to services is one option available to our PSR teams to make a connection. We value a client’s voice and choice and may shuttle a client to services, provide a bus pass, or call for a taxi ride. PSR strives to provide a warm hand off to services, whenever possible.
- Why not public transportation?
- Public transportation is one option available to PSR teams to assist clients in making a connection. PSR will confer with clients on what is the best option for them.
Publicly Accessible Area Response
- What changed?
- This policy expanded to allow PSR teams to respond into unlocked public spaces such as lobbies of local government buildings, restaurants, retail or grocery stores, etc. during regular business hours. Previously, for safety reasons, PSR was not able to respond indoors without a co-responder.
- Can they come into my apartment building?
- No. PSR cannot respond inside a private residence, apartment building, tent, Safe Rest Villages (SRV), motorhome, or any other locked building not open to the public.
- Why can’t PSR respond on public transportation?
- PSR responders are unarmed. For their safety, this policy only allows for PSR to respond into spaces that have a clear point of egress where they can exit, if needed.
- Where can’t PSR respond?
- Private residences; apartment building lobbies, hallways or apartments; tents, motorhomes, SRVs or other temporary housing; locked buildings; and public transportation
Co-Response
- What is co-response?
- Co-response refers to calls where multiple first responders are dispatched and/or requested to address the complex needs of a call. This policy further integrates PSR into the first responder system and outlines how they will respond with other partners, when there is need.
- When is it determined a co-response is needed?
- Co-response may occur at the point of dispatch, while units are enroute, or after a first responder has made contact on the scene of a call. If a first responder partner determines a need for PSR to assist or take over a call, they may request us.