Portland Street Response (PSR) is a vital service operating across Portland streets, offering a non-police response to individuals experiencing behavioral health crises. Understanding when and where PSR operates can help Portland residents access the right support at the right time. This service is available citywide, every day of the week, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., ensuring broad coverage across Portland’s diverse neighborhoods.
Contacting Portland Street Response Through 911
Yes, you can indeed contact Portland Street Response by calling 911. When you call, trained 911 dispatchers will guide you through a series of questions. These questions are designed to accurately assess the situation and determine the most appropriate response team to send. This could be the Police, Fire services, Portland Street Response, or AMR ambulance service, depending on the specific needs of the situation. If your call aligns with the criteria for Portland Street Response, the dispatchers will promptly alert and dispatch the PSR team to your location. This streamlined process ensures that individuals in need receive the most suitable and timely assistance available within Portland’s network of emergency services.
How Portland Street Response Calls Are Triaged
Portland Street Response is specifically dispatched to situations that meet certain criteria, ensuring they are deployed where their unique skills are most needed. Currently, dispatchers will send Portland Street Response teams when a caller reports:
- An individual who may be experiencing a mental health crisis, or who is intoxicated or affected by drugs. Critically, this person must be in a publicly accessible space, such as outside a business, in a store, or in a public lobby, rather than a private residence.
- A person who is found outside and lying down, and whose condition has not yet been checked.
- A person who is outside and yelling or exhibiting signs of distress.
- An individual who requires a referral to social services but lacks access to a phone to make the necessary calls themselves.
In addition to these primary conditions, a call must also meet the following safety criteria to be routed to Portland Street Response:
- There are no weapons visible at the scene.
- The person is not currently in or directly obstructing traffic flow.
- The person is not exhibiting violent behavior towards others, such as physical combativeness, making violent threats, or engaging in assault.
- The person is not expressing suicidal intentions.
- The person is not inside a private residence.
These criteria are essential to ensure the safety of both the individuals in crisis and the Portland Street Response teams, allowing PSR to effectively address situations where their specialized approach is most appropriate and safe.
Accessing Portland Street Response Call Data
For those interested in the impact and reach of Portland Street Response, the City of Portland provides a public data dashboard. This dashboard offers transparency into PSR operations, showing call data and response metrics. You can access this information at the data dashboard.. Exploring this data can provide valuable insights into the scope and effectiveness of Portland Street Response’s work across the city.
Portland Street Response and Encampment Cleanings
It’s important to clarify Portland Street Response’s role regarding encampment cleanings and removals in Portland. PSR teams do not participate in these activities. Their focus remains on individual crisis response and support. However, in situations where someone within an encampment is experiencing distress during a cleaning or removal, Portland Street Response may be called in. In these instances, PSR’s role is to offer de-escalation and support to the individual in distress, ensuring their well-being during a challenging situation. PSR teams do not, however, dismantle tents or physically move individuals or their belongings during encampment cleanings.
Volunteering and Supporting Portland Street Response
The সিটি of Portland has received a significant number of inquiries from community members eager to volunteer and support Portland Street Response. While there isn’t currently a formal volunteer program in place, the city is actively evaluating how to establish a structured volunteer program in the future. For updates on volunteer opportunities and how you might be able to contribute to Portland Street Response’s mission in the community, please continue to check the official Portland Street Response website for announcements.
Donations to Portland Street Response
Currently, Portland Street Response is not equipped to accept financial or product donations. The সিটি is exploring the logistics of accepting donations in the future, recognizing the community’s generous offers to support the program. Please stay tuned for updates on the official Portland Street Response website for any changes regarding donation acceptance.
Employment Opportunities with Portland Street Response
If you are interested in a career with Portland Street Response and contributing to this vital service on Portland streets, you can find job opportunities through the City of Portland’s official website. Visit the City of Portland’s employment page to get alerted to new job opportunities. This is the best way to stay informed about any open positions with Portland Street Response and other সিটি departments.
Providing Feedback on Portland Street Response
Your feedback is valuable to ensuring the continued effectiveness and improvement of Portland Street Response. If you have a compliment or a complaint regarding a Portland Street Response call, please submit the time, date, and specific location of the call, along with a detailed description of your feedback to [email protected]. The team will thoroughly research the call and communicate with you regarding your issue. Alternatively, you can also file anonymous feedback with the auditor’s office. This provides an additional avenue for sharing your experience and contributing to the accountability of সিটি services.
