The Oregonian, February 1, 2013 –
Cogen expects the county, using contract trainers, to begin offering intensive, two-day seminars later this summer to “front-line responders” such as county workers, non-profit agency employees, teachers and even Portland police officers.
“We’re basically talking about anyone who is in a role to have direct contact with potentially vulnerable populations,” he said.
The training program, expected to cost between $200,000 and $300,000, has been used elsewhere, most notably Australia and in some large U.S. cities. Cogen’s proposal, which has the support of the county’s four other commissioners, would be one of the first — and by far the largest — implementations of such training in Oregon.