With your support over the past two years, we have made real, significant progress in implementing Measure 110. We have so much good news to share with you. Here are some highlights:
Measure 110 Money is Out!
The money is out, making a difference, at work in local communities across the state! The M110 Oversight and Accountability Council completed the grant awards process establishing Behavioral Health Resource Networks (BHRNs) in every county. 234 organizations across Oregon were awarded a combined total of $265 million for low-barrier addiction recovery and harm reduction services. This amount is in addition to the $30 million released in June of 2021, which provided those same critical services to more than 16,000 people across Oregon, and helped prevent many organizations from closing their doors. This $295 million investment over the next two years is more than five times what Oregon was previously spending for non-Medicaid services same services.
Creating Stable and Sustainable Funding for Community Based Providers
Recently, the Oversight and Accountability Council voted to extend provider funding to BHRN entities through the 2025 biennium, offering great flexibility and longer term sustainability for those organizations. In other words, with your support, M110 funding is most likely protected through 2025.
Meeting with Measure 110 Providers Across Oregon
The team has visited providers in The Dalles, Deschutes County, Lane County, and Marion County, Clatsop County and are headed to Benton, and Jackson counties next. We’re establishing more provider relationships, gathering stories, making connections, and hearing provider concerns so that we can support them. We’re learning all about their services and sharing how M110 dollars are helping them to sustain and expand programs, help more people, and save more lives. Check out this blog post from our recent visit to providers in Deschutes County.
Media/Communications
M110 made positive headlines last month when new, independent polling of Oregon voters revealed that, two years after the law’s passage, Measure 110 is still supported by a majority of Oregon voters. There have also been some letters to the editor in support of 110; here is one that is short but very powerful!
Finally, additional, independent research came out last month highlighting the fact that 911 calls did not increase during the time period that Measure 110 has been in effect. This is a big deal in terms of seeing what the public is asking law enforcement to handle. The bottom line: We’re really not seeing any change in Portland’s calls for service initiated by the public after Measure 110 was enacted. That means that, despite the law enforcement perception that after Measure 110 crimes have increased, the actual data shows that Portland 911 calls mirror its sister cities. When asked “is it possible Portlanders simply stopped calling the police?” The lead researcher commented “if that’s the case, then you would expect the calls for service to go down right after 110.” While early, this is a key data point indicating that crime is not on the rise due to Measure 110.
FREE Technical Assistance Workshops for M110 Providers
HJRA is providing a Technical Assistance Workshop Series for BHRN providers and one on one coaching with non profit consultants. The technical assistance is a needed and much requested resource for new, emerging, Black, Latinx and Tribal or any organizations seeking a better understanding of the nuts and bolts of interacting with a state bureaucracy in addition to fundamental non-profit business protocol/operations. If you or an organization you work with needs support with operations, financial statements, reading grants, fundraising etc, email us and we will connect you with support at no cost to you.
Our most recent workshop was held Friday, October 28th, presented by Oregon Consumer Justice; “A Practical Guide to the 990 for Non-Profit Leaders.” You can find a link to this recording and past TA workshops on our website here. We’ll keep you posted on upcoming workshops.
Thank you for your continued support as we move into the next phase of our advocacy!