Multnomah County announces provider for drug deflection center [Video]

PORTLAND, Ore. — Multnomah County has signed a contract with a drug and alcohol treatment provider to operate its deflection center. 

Baltimore-based Tuerk House will run the county’s deflection center starting on Sept. 1, the county announced on Tuesday. The county selected Tuerk House after multiple providers participated in a solicitation process. 

The county will lease a facility on Southeast Sandy Boulevard and Ninth Avenue. Police officers can take people caught possessing a small amount of hard drugs to the facility to connect them with recovery resources. It’s part of Multnomah County’s plan to deal with the rollback of a key portion of Measure 110. The passage of House Bill 4002 earlier this year allows counties to set up deflection programs, steering people addicted to drugs to treatment instead of jail.

“This …