September 2021

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Looking for a home for the CATT 

After the Washington County Board of Commissioners adopted the CATT feasibility study, staff started working on the next big task: looking for potential sites for the center. Our Program Development Work Group identified a list of preferred features for the property, which we used as a basis for our search: 

  • The site should be located within a short walking distance of public transportation such as the MAX or a high frequency bus line.  
  • The CATT will offer a “campus” approach rather than a single, large building. This allows for separation of services.  
  • The site should either have green space already or have the capacity to develop green space. 
  • There will be enough parking to accommodate staff, clients and visitors.  
  
Project leaders partnered with the County’s Facilities and Parks Division and a broker to look at available properties in Washington County. While the feasibility study identified our preference for building from the ground up, we looked for both land as well as buildings that were for sale and might work. The team also considered a split campus model, where services are offered on more than one site. We discovered pretty quickly that there were very few options available that met all our criteria. While there are many parcels of land available, most were not on public transit or large enough for our services. 
 
Despite the challenging market, the team was able to identify a few options and presented them to the Board on September 14. The Board directed the team to further explore the split campus option, using a building in Beaverton that is already owned by the County, and another building for sale in Hillsboro.  

The team has a lot of work to do in the next few months. We’ll be analyzing the cost of purchasing the Hillsboro building as well as renovation costs for both buildings. Key work will also include engaging with the communities near the sites so they can provide feedback about the project. The results of this work will be brought back to the Board, who will make the final decision on the home for the CATT. Stay tuned! 
It takes a village: Preparing for the next phase of work
After celebrating the Board of Commissioners’ approval to move forward with the Center for Addiction Treatment & Triage (CATT), the leadership team got right back to work. The team is focused on strategic planning, prioritizing tasks and starting a funding analysis. We are also working with staff from the Washington County Facilities and Parks Division to find a site for the CATT.

Once we have a suitable property, we’ll select an architect to design the facility. Then it won’t be too long before we have an idea of what the CATT will look like. Construction would start after that. We expect all this work, plus much more, to happen over the next 18-36 months. 

There are many people involved with and supporting this project. Our work group structure shows how we've organized the next phase of work. Here’s a snapshot of our CATT “village” and the work being done: 

Steering Committee – We are very happy to have our Steering Committee continue to provide us guidance on the project. These local leaders and key stakeholders are helping with policy direction and political support. Our website has meeting summaries and presentations for you to review. 

Program Development Work Group – This group has several areas of focus for the next phase of work, including refining the clinical model and making recommendations for staffing. Along with the Steering Committee, this group will also focus on ensuring the program is culturally responsive. Much more information is available on our website. 

Communications Team – This team keeps our webpages updated, issues media releases, produces this newsletter, and much more. 

Community Engagement Work Group – Soon we will launch a team dedicated to connecting our community to the CATT, with an equity lens as a guiding principal. Tasks will include reaching out to community members for input about the project and responding to new ideas and concerns. 

Criminal Justice Interface Work Group – We plan to start this work group in the next six months. The goal of this group will be to work on ways to divert people who are using substances from the criminal justice system and connect them to treatment. We are looking forward to partnering with local law enforcement and the courts to explore this important goal. 
We're in the news!
After a July 20 press release announcing that all five Washington County Board of Commissioners approved the Center for Addiction Treatment & Triage (CATT) project to move forward, we were contacted by several news organizations for interviews.

A reporter from The Beaverton Valley Times interviewed Kristin Burke, CATT project manager, and wrote an article highlighting the need for a substance use treatment center in Washington County. The article did a great job explaining how the CATT will add much-needed addiction services to our county.

The Lund Report published an article which featured an interview with Steven Youngs, treatment housing services manager for Bridges to Change Inc., and a member of the CATT Program Development Work Group. In the article, Youngs gives examples of just how limited Washington County is when it comes to substance use treatment services. He details how frustrating it can be when people want to get clean, or get into treatment, but there are no openings for them in the treatment centers. The limited ability to treat people when they are ready for help can sometimes mean the difference between life and death, as Youngs has personally witnessed.

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We recently updated the “CATT News and Publications” page on our website. Here you will find news articles, press releases, media coverage, and links to our “CATT Connection” newsletter.
Visit our website for more information.

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