Columbia Children’s Arboretum – Project Update for April 2022– After an extensive community engagement process and years of planning, Portland Parks & Recreation is excited to share that construction at the Columbia Children’s Arboretum is projected to begin in early May 2022 and will continue through Fall 2022.
For the public’s safety, this park will be fully closed through the duration of construction.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to make the following improvements: ADA-accessible path through the park Bus drop-off and turnaround ADA parking Portable ADA restrooms in enclosures Picnic areas Nature exploration spots Drinking fountain Benches Trash receptacles Native plantings Learn more
After operating mostly in the greater Lents area, Portland Street Response will start taking calls citywide on March 28, 2022
Published
March 27, 2022 4:07 pm
After operating mostly in the greater Lents area, Portland Street Response (PSR) will start taking calls citywide on March 28, 2022. Portland Street Response, a program that’s part of Portland Fire & Rescue’s Community Health Division, offers an unarmed response to non-life-threatening behavioral and mental health crisis calls.
From March 28 forward, Portlanders will not have to look at maps to see if they are in Portland Street Response’s service area: all of Portland is in PSR’s service area!
In this next phase of PSR’s evolution, teams will be responding to calls via 911 every day of the week, from 8 am to 10 pm, in every corner of the city.
When PSR started taking calls on Feb 16, 2021, they only covered 5 square miles and responded over a regular 40-hour work week, Monday through Friday. Incrementally, the program expanded its boundaries as well as the time frame the team responded in.
Portland Street Response Fast Facts
PSR started responding Feb 16, 2021 with a staff of six.
Full staffing starting March 28, 2022 to cover the City of Portland: 20
Portland Street Response Expansion by square miles:
Feb 16, 2021: 3.75 square miles
April 21, 2021: 13 square miles
Nov. 4, 2021: 36 square miles
March 28, 2022: 145 square miles
Call information:
48% of our first response calls involved clients with suspected mental health needs
56% of our first response calls involved clients with unmet basic needs
44% of our first response calls involved clients with suspected substance use needs
65% of our first response calls involved houseless clients
Our community health program helped 10 clients secure two weeks or more of temporary shelter
Our community health program helped 9 clients secure permanent housing
Our community health program helped 2 clients retain their housing
Total supplies donated program-wide including first response, client follow-up visits and activities is 1,323
Total referrals during first response and client follow-up visits is 399
We hosted a total of 57 community outreach & engagement events where we’ve made 2,597 community contacts
Job titles and duties of the response team:
Mental Health Crisis Responders: These responders provide crisis intervention, face-to-face mental health assessments, information and referrals, and offers brief supportive counseling to clients in the field, who are in emotional distress and/or seeking information on available mental health services.
Community Health Medical Personnel: These medical professionals offer on-scene assessment and treatment for non-life-threatening health issues facing those in mental and/or behavioral health crises.
Community Health Workers: Community Health Workers facilitate access to social services and agencies through a range of activities such as outreach, community education, informal counseling, social support and advocacy.
Peer Support Specialists: The professionals with lived experience facilitate access to social services and agencies through a range of activities such as outreach, community education, informal counseling, social support, and advocacy.
The City of Portland ensures meaningful access to City programs, services, and activities to comply with Civil Rights Title VI and ADA Title II laws and reasonably provides: translation, interpretation, modifications, accommodations, alternative formats, auxiliary aids and services. Request these services online or call 503-823-4000, Relay Service: 711.
503-823-4000 Traducción e Interpretación | Biên Dịch và Thông Dịch | 口笔译服务 | Устный и письменный перевод | Turjumaad iyo Fasiraad | Письмовий і усний переклад | Traducere și interpretariat | Chiaku me Awewen Kapas | अनुवादन तथा व्याख्या
Do you have a great idea for a community project or environmental improvement action that needs funding? Up to $12,000 is available for community projects!
CWSP (Community Watershed Stewardship Program) is a small community grant program at the City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services. CWSP supports local groups implement projects that meet community needs and improve environmental health.
CWSP encourages applications for projects that involve the leadership and meaningful participation of people of color, immigrants, elders, youth, those with disabilities, low-income residents, and other underrepresented groups. We hope you’ll help spread the news!
CWSP provides stewardship grants of up to $12,000 each for projects that help Portlanders make improvements in their neighborhoods and communities while also improving watershed health.
Projects that can be funded include:
Neighborhood safety, health and livability
Youth leadership and skills development
Community gardens and green spaces
Art and education
Cleanup and restoration
Stormwater Management
For examples of previous projects, grant writing instructions and applications click here.
Our first Grant Writing Workshop will be Friday, March 18th at 10am via zoom. email us here for a link!
Short Pre-Applications due Friday, April 3rd
To apply, simply follow the link to fill out a short pre-application that outlines your idea! A grant review committee will then invite selected applicants to submit a longer full application due in June.
For help developing project ideas and putting together an application contact the CWSP Coordinators at
For more information and application materials to come, visit the CWSP website!
(*Please be patient if the website link isn’t fully functional – it is brand new. Until it’s fully ready we’ll use email as your best information source – thanks for your patience as the bureau seeks to improve services!)
Daryl Houtman
Environmental Program Coordinator, Community Engagement
East Columbia Neighborhood Association 