Regarding the city of Eugene’s decision to select Ideal Options to run an alternative response pilot program, we need a comprehensive crisis system, not separate providers. The system should focus on the urgent needs of vulnerable individuals. It should offset more expensive services like jails, hospitals and public safety by providing de-escalation, medical, mental health and substance use interventions. Mobile services are critical but insufficient. We need crisis stabilization centers as inexpensive diversion programs.

CAHOOTS was an amazing program. The staff were talented, well trained and amazingly committed. For those of us fortunate enough to have benefited from a ride-along, we witnessed caring and respectful supports to residents experiencing extremely stressful moments. It is unfortunate that internal and external forces undermined CAHOOTS. Resurrecting a replication is in our community’s interest. I am not sure the newly contracted services are sufficiently comprehensive.

I hope that the public and nonprofit providers can organize a collaborative consortium to build an integrated continuum of crisis services, stretching from peer support through mobile crisis and including short-term crisis stabilization. We should set our goal at truly meeting community needs.

Bruce Abel
Eugene