Among the many many disappointing outcomes of Oregon’s drug-decriminalization experiment was the exceedingly low utilization of a hotline that was supposed to assist join drug customers with assets. What’s much more disappointing is that the Oregon Well being Authority would pay a contractor to maintain operating the costly hotline when it’s clearly pointless.
The hotline – or what the state cringingly calls a “hopeline” – was created following the passage of Measure 110, which downgraded possession of small quantities of medication to a ticketable offense, like a site visitors violation. Beneath Measure 110, ticketed drug customers may keep away from the $100 penalty by calling a state-funded hotline the place they might bear screening for substance abuse and obtain referrals to companies.
However from the beginning, only a few folks bothered to telephone in. A 2024 story famous that within the first six months of that 12 months, solely 73 folks had used the hotline, which was run by a Boston nonprofit, Well being Sources in Motion. The fee labored out to $10,700 per call.
Then, legislators final 12 months rolled again a lot of Measure 110, recriminalized medication and inspired counties to undertake a special strategy to treating drug use. But, as The Oregonian/OregonLive’s Noelle Crombie reported, the Oregon Well being Authority lately determined to increase its contract with the nonprofit via June of this 12 months, boosting the $2.7 million contract to a complete of $3.4 million. A spokeswoman informed Crombie that the extra months will permit the state to “keep away from service disruption and permit for a considerate course of to guage the continuum of current telephone strains.”
Keep away from disruption to whom? And whereas the state ought to consider the a number of hotlines that serve related functions, there’s zero cause to proceed this contract within the meantime. Whereas the amount of cash is comparatively small contemplating the large sums that the Oregon Well being Authority pays out, the choice to increase this contract is exasperatingly baffling.
OHA’s director Sejal Hathi lately got here underneath fireplace after the general public realized that she is joining the faculty at Stanford University’s School of Medicine whereas conserving her OHA job. She took umbrage on the criticism, explaining to legislators that the appointment means she’s going to spend roughly one shift a month seeing sufferers on the college’s hospital in California, which permits her to remain related to the on-the-ground realities of well being care and well being coverage. She regarded to California solely after she was suggested that doing one thing related at an Oregon hospital topic to the well being authority’s oversight would pose a battle of curiosity, she mentioned.
Whereas her rationale is affordable, the extension of the hotline contract ought to assist her perceive why she confronted a lot blowback. The well being authority simply made an absurd choice to waste cash on a little-used and redundant hotline that has no legislative cause for existence. The choice displays an absence of judgment, consideration or each. Till she will be able to present that she’s instilling these values in all ranges of this troubled company, she might wish to dial again a few of her defensiveness.
Fortunately, Sen. Kate Lieber informed Crombie that legislators won’t be allocating future funding for this hotline to nowhere. It’s too unhealthy the Oregon Well being Authority didn’t minimize the twine first.
