TL;DR (generated · confidence: high)

Portland Street Response (PSR) received one-time ARPA dollars to scale to 24/7 staffing in FY23 but experienced significant turnover and hiring delays. The program plans to fill its 52 budgeted positions by end of FY25. Restoration of $6.5M in ongoing funding allows PSR to retain 38 regular positions, with FY25 total budget of $8.1M extending 16 limited-duration positions. High turnover (3–6 months to replace employees plus training time) stems from leadership instability, career advancement, and job fit issues.

Key points (each cites a PDF page):

PSR restoration of $6.5M in ongoing funding allows retention of 38 regular positions; FY25 total budget is $8.1M extending 16 limited-duration positions. (p. 1133)
PSR received one-time ARPA dollars to scale to 24/7 staffing in FY23 but turnover and Fire bureau hiring freeze prevented staying ahead of attrition; program plans to fill 52 budgeted positions by end of FY25. (p. 1133)
Employee replacement and training takes 3–6 months, making turnover costly; high turnover attributed to leadership instability, transfers to Fire (17%), relocation (9%), shifts/job bad fit (12%), medical (3%), and unknown reasons (40%). (p. 1133)
Frustration with leadership/instability accounted for 18% of separations; program prioritizes stabilization, leadership paths, and exit interviews for improved retention. (p. 1133)

💰 $6.5M · $8.1M · 👥 38 · 16 · 52 · 📋 Portland Street Response (PSR) · Portland Fire & Rescue · 🏛️ Portland Fire & Rescue

Historical Staffing with Hiring Projections

Source: PDF p. 1133 · raw: 1133

Breadcrumb: 5 ps › PSR-and-CHAT-2025-Budget-Note-Memo › Response memo to FY2025 Budget Note: Direction to Develop Programmatic Mission, Scope, and Staffing Model for Portland Street Response & Community Health Assess and Treat › Appendix 1: Portland Street Response (PSR) › Historical Staffing with Hiring Projections

funds to expand the program in FY23 through FY24. In FY24 and FY25, general fund dollars were swapped out with grant funding to support Portland Fire & Rescue. Delays in hiring and turnover in staff has led to underspend in the program. The restoration of $6.5M in ongoing funding allows Portland Street Response to retain its 38 regular positions, and the total FY25 budget of $8.1M allows for the extension of 16 limited duration positions through FY25. HISTORICAL S TAFFING WITH HIRING P ROJECTIONS Portland Street Response received one-time ARPA dollars to scale up to 24/7 staffing in FY23 but turnover in staff and a Fire bureau hiring freeze did not allow the program to stay ahead of normal attrition and training rates. The program is actively recruiting and plans to have the 52 budgeted positions filled by the end of FY25. The program has seen a high level of turnover in the beginning years as there has been instability in leadership, along with staff choosing to advance their careers in other areas. The high rate of turnover is costly, with it taking 3-6 months to replace and employee and several months to train a new hire. The priority of program stabilization and paths to leadership, along with consistently conducting exit interviews will allow for improved retention. Reasons for Separations: PSR Separated Responders · Frustrated with 14 40% instability/leadership (18%) 12 30% 10 · Transfer to Fire (17%) 8 20% 6 · Relocated (9%) 4 10% 2 · Medical (3%) 0 0% · Shifts/job bad fit (12%) FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 Separated Responders · Unknown (40%) Percent of Total Responders

Parent: Appendix 1: Portland Street Response (PSR) · PDF: p. 1133