Since the early 90s, a dedicated team of crisis responders have been called on to assist people experiencing a mental health emergency across Portland. A cornerstone program at Cascadia Health, Project Respond has helped individuals and families regain a sense of control and connected them with follow-up support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

From family crisis stabilization and peer wellness specialists to emergency department liaisons, library crisis services, and a shelter behavioral health team, Project Respond meets people where they are to provide the least restrictive services for those in need. Project Respond also works with Portland and Gresham Police Bureaus to assist in instances of mental health crisis in which police have been called to de-escalate situations and provide follow-up services.

“Project Respond is so important. Like other emergencies (like a fire), we send urgent resources to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis,” said Jackie Thomson, Cascadia Health’s Senior Director of Crisis Services. “If someone feels like they can’t go into an office or urgent walk-in clinic, we have resources that meet them where they are in that crisis.”

In 1993, Project Respond was initially tasked with outreach crisis work limited to downtown Portland as part of Mental Health Services West, one of four agencies that would go through several mergers before falling under the banner of Cascadia in 2002. The last 30 years have seen remarkable expansion for Project Respond in line with the city’s evolving needs.

“What we’re trying to do is look for the immediate needs. Can someone take care of themselves in an adequate way, and can someone make sure they don’t hurt themselves or anybody else?” Thomson said.

Through agency mergers, organization changes, and consistent county-wide need for crisis support, Project Respond is now a tiered effort comprised of multiple sub-teams specializing in meeting the needs of specific populations.

The teams that make up Project Respond cover an array of community needs and include:

• Mobile Crisis Team
• Emergency Department (ED) Liaisons
• Family Crisis Stabilization Specialists (FCSS)
• Peer Wellness Specialists (PWS)
• Library Crisis Services (LCS)
• Shelter Behavioral Health Team (SBHT)
• Gresham Service Coordination Team
• Behavioral Health Response Team (BHRT)

“The dedication of these teams is unlike anything I’ve ever seen,” Thomson said. “The amount of pressure that they hold every day is just put aside when they’re with somebody in crisis. I want people to understand what it takes to be in a crisis with somebody and to stay incredibly empathetic and keep thinking creatively.”

Learn more about Project Respond and the program’s 30 years of crisis response:
• Doing the Work: Clay, Peer Support Specialist
• Peer Support is Truly Person-Centered
• KOIN: Library Crisis Team
• Expanded Crisis Services in Gresham
• Shelter Team Provides Crucial Behavioral Health Support
• Portland Police Bureau Honors Project Respond with Community Service Award