From the Lund Report – October 2020

Oregon’s treatment and recovery system for people struggling with addiction is about half the size it should be to meet demand, according to a comprehensive state-funded analysis released Friday.

READ – OHSU – Oregon Gap Analysis and Inventory Report

The report details substantial deficits in services across the continuum, from harm reduction programs such as syringe exchanges to inpatient and outpatient treatment and resources to help people sustain their recovery.

“We see huge gaps in care availability across all services, but we also see gaps in access and barriers such as transportation or travel time — as well as gaps in culturally and linguistically relevant services,” said report co-author Katie Lenahan, a research project manager at the Oregon Health & Science University-Portland State University School of Public Health.

The analysis is intended to support the Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission’s 5-year strategic plan for addressing substance use disorder in Oregon and was funded by the Oregon Health Authority. Researchers spent a year gathering and cross-referencing Oregon Health Plan billing records, federal drug use data, resource inventories and provider surveys, with 164 providers participating in data collection.

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