Measure 110 funding expands culturally centered behavioral health support in Portland

“People’s lives are being saved,” said James Demry, Recovery Resource Center manager at Going Home II, a Portland-based organization that offers reintegration support to previously incarcerated people, as well as behavioral health services focused on Black and Brown communities.

According to Demry, funding from Measure 110 has made the difference by helping Going Home II expand its social and behavioral wellness work.

The organization has added behavioral health staff, augmented services for people seeking support for substance use disorder (SUD), and better collaborated with fellow local SUD providers.

Prior to receiving Measure 110 funding, Going Home II services centered around reintegration after incarceration. Now, they’ve hired a social wellness team of two peer support supervisors, four peer support specialists, two case managers, two housing specialists and one employment specialist – in addition to Demry. The importance of hiring an all-Black team to deliver culturally specific programs, Demry said, has been critical in providing deeper comfort and connection, and for their staff to “give people a sense of pride.”

When people of color seek help with SUD, they often do not work with providers who look like them, Demry said, which highlights the importance of Going Home II’s model.

In addition to a shared cultural background, most Going Home II staff share lived (first-hand) experience of SUD with the people they serve. The peer support model is a focus of Measure 110 implementation and has shown promising results across the country in helping people navigate SUD.

As an example of how the peer support model can benefit people seeking support, Demry relayed his journey from needing peer support services for SUD in 2010 to now working as the manager for Going Home II’s Recovery Resource Center, 14 years later. He believes the peer model is critical to success.

“We can effectively help the community this way,” Demry said. “Others can see how it works, and in turn, pursue a dream.”

With the additional staff, Going Home II has expanded its programs for people seeking help with SUD. For someone first accessing services, the organization meets them where they’re at by completing an intake assessment, connecting them with a peer support specialist and creating a set of goals. Going Home II then works with them through the journey, which is led by the client’s “champion,” or peer mentor. Clients are offered extra support, including new clothes, a cellphone and transportation to reduce barriers and help people with SUD make changes in their lives. Additionally, Going Home II provides job training and application support, transitional housing and rental assistance, and connections to local SUD detox and treatment facilities.

Another major component of Measure 110 has been the creation of Behavioral Health Resource Networks (BHRNs) in every county statewide to improve collaboration among SUD providers. Demry said the BHRNs have allowed organizations to “collaborate on a common goal and given us more drive to work together so we can align our values, build relationships and help our community.”