Measure 110 providers report gains in substance use disorder, other clients served statewide, OHA says

SALEM, Ore. — Measure 110 providers reported increases in the number of clients served statewide, in every service area, according to new program reports filed with Oregon Health Authority.

This latest round of reporting from Behavioral Health Resource Network (BHRN) providers reflects significantly increased client totals statewide in all seven Measure 110 service areas, between July 1 and December 31, 2022.

• Reported client counts for substance use disorder treatment increased by 44%.
• The number of clients provided housing services increased by more than 125% and the number of clients provided supported employment services increased by 136%.
• The largest gains occurred in the number of people seeking harm reduction and peer support services. More than 10,100 clients have been provided with harm reduction services – a 37% increase over last quarter. Providers reported seeing more than 7,600 people seeking peer support services – a 61% increase over last quarter.

BRHN providers report the number of clients they serve, and the number of service encounters they have with their clients as a measure of overall engagement.

As the Measure 110 program continues to grow, OHA is tracking fluctuations in service encounters to see if they are indicative of larger trends. OHA is working to support all Measure 110 funded providers to become fully operational and stabilize their service offerings.

OHA has developed a comprehensive Measure 110 data reporting dashboard that includes quarterly data and operational reporting, expenditures, key demographic information, and aggregated narrative summaries for each of the 42 statewide Measure 110 service networks.

The dashboard includes a county-by-county data breakdown, along with a timeline for data and available provider contact information.

The second-quarter reporting shows that the largest expenditures – more than $8.09 million – went toward housing, with nearly $12 million total over both quarters. Another $7.1 million was spent on peer supported services during the second quarter, with $10.8 million spent for both quarters. Spending on substance use treatment increased by nearly 200% to $4.65 million.

Investments in infrastructure to support and sustain the service networks increased from $6 million in the first quarter to $9 million over the second quarter. Infrastructure expenses account for the largest share of Measure 110 spending, followed closely by personnel expenses.

Providers were also required to file narrative responses to three questions indicating their successes in providing services and supports, actions they are taking to reduce service barriers and bolster access to culturally and linguistically appropriate services and to challenges they are confronting.

More than one-third of the providers cited lowering of service access barriers as a strength while nearly 40% cited staff retention and recruiting as a challenge.

“Data and reporting are critical to understanding and measuring the impact and effectiveness of Measure 110. Data show us that more people are receiving Measure 110-funded services and supports,” said OHA Behavioral Health Director Ebony Clarke.

“However, the preliminary data also shows we have a lot of work ahead in closing service gaps in communities of color and other historically marginalized communities if we are to meet our goal of eliminating health disparities by 2030. The new dashboard will provide transparent and comprehensive information on the progress being made and the challenges we are facing,” Clarke said.

The deadline for the next round expenditure reporting is June 30 and July 17 for data reporting and will cover the time between January through March 2023. OHA will update the Dashboard each quarter, after the Measure 110 team validates all provider-submitted reports.

Background: In November 2020, Oregon voters passed Measure 110, the Drug Addiction Treatment and Recovery Act of 2020, which became effective Dec. 4, 2020, to better serve people actively using substances or diagnosed with a substance use disorder. In July 2021, the legislature passed SB 755, which amended the act and made it more feasible to implement.

People who provide drug treatment and recovery services and advocates for criminal justice reform wrote Measure 110 in response to the high rate of drug addiction and overdoses in Oregon, and the disproportionate impact of those outcomes on Oregon’s communities of color.

Their goal was to establish a more equitable health-based and effective approach to substance use disorder.