Portland, OR - Multnomah Embrace

Reclaiming Futures Multnomah Embrace in Portland, Oregon was one of the first 10 projects funded by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to help teens in trouble with drugs, alcohol, and crime.

In 2004, 2,727 teens in Multnomah County were in trouble with the law. Eighty-two percent of the 1,153 teens screened by juvenile justice that year were using substances at a level beyond “experimental” use. In fact, every year hundreds of young people in the Multnomah County juvenile justice system need help to overcome drugs and alcohol. Yet treatment isn't available to many of those who need it. For instance, there are only half as many residential beds as needed.

Reclaiming Futures Multnomah County is improving alcohol and drug treatment services for approximately 500 teens in our juvenile justice system every year by:

• Reliably assessing young people for alcohol and drug treatment needs and consistently connecting them to treatment
• Routinely sharing information between probation officers and treatment counselors
• Tapping strong community partnerships to systematically connect kids to positive activities - school, employment, recreation, the arts, volunteering, and adult mentors
• Improving quality of services by providing additional training to staff

Contact: Debbie Sweet, Project Director
Address: Reclaiming Futures Oregon
Multnomah County Department of Community Justice
Juvenile Services Division
1401 NE 68th Ave
Portland, OR 97213
Phone: 503.725.8955
Email: debbie.l.sweet@co.multnomah.or.us
Website: http://www.co.multnomah.or.us/dcj/jcjembrace.shtml