Eugene Selects Ideal Option for Peer Navigation Pilot Program

The new program aims to fill gaps left by the closure of the CAHOOTS crisis response service.

Apr. 8, 2026 at 1:08am by Ben Kaplan

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A brightly colored, high-contrast silkscreen print of a peer navigation symbol, such as a headset or clipboard, repeated in a tight grid pattern in vibrant neon colors with heavy black outlines, conceptually representing the city's new peer navigation program.The new Peer Navigation Alternative Response pilot program aims to fill gaps in Eugene's crisis response services with the help of experienced peer navigators.Eugene Today

The city of Eugene has selected Ideal Option, a nationally recognized addiction treatment organization, to provide peer navigation services as part of a new Peer Navigation Alternative Response pilot program. The program is intended to address gaps in crisis response and outreach services that emerged after the closure of the CAHOOTS program in 2025.

Why it matters

The closure of the CAHOOTS program left a significant void in Eugene's crisis response and outreach services, particularly for mid-acuity behavioral health incidents, youth crisis response, harm reduction, and other non-emergency calls. The new Peer Navigation Alternative Response pilot is an attempt to fill those gaps and provide more comprehensive support to the community.

The details

Ideal Option was selected to run the one-year pilot program based on their experience delivering peer navigation services in Eugene and other communities. The program will operate outside of downtown Eugene, focusing on areas like Highway 99, River Road, the Whiteaker Neighborhood, and West Eugene. While some residents have expressed concerns about the program's ability to reach individuals citywide, the city plans to collect data during the pilot to evaluate its impacts and identify any remaining gaps in services.

  • The CAHOOTS program ended services in Eugene in April 2025 due to budget cuts.
  • The city of Eugene released a report in October analyzing the impacts of the CAHOOTS closure.
  • The new Peer Navigation Alternative Response pilot program will run for one year starting in 2026.

The players

Ideal Option

A nationally recognized organization that provides medicine-based treatment for addiction in multiple clinics across Oregon.

Eugene Police Department

Collaborated with the Eugene Springfield Fire Department and mobile crisis units to help fill gaps in crisis response services after the CAHOOTS program closed.

Eugene Springfield Fire Department

Collaborated with the Eugene Police Department and mobile crisis units to help fill gaps in crisis response services after the CAHOOTS program closed.

White Bird Clinic

Announced it would be ending CAHOOTS services in Eugene after drastic budget cuts, leading to the program's closure.

Robert Parish

A commentator who urged city councilors to decouple the peer navigator program from efforts to return alternative response services to Eugene.

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What they’re saying

“If the city needs peer navigators, that needs to be a separate process decoupled from the efforts to return alternative response to Eugene.”

— Robert Parish, Commentator

What’s next

The pilot program will run for one year, during which the city will collect data to figure out the impacts of the peer navigators and what's still missing in terms of crisis response and outreach services.

The takeaway

The new Peer Navigation Alternative Response pilot program is an important step in addressing the gaps left by the closure of the CAHOOTS crisis response service in Eugene. While some residents have expressed concerns, the city is committed to evaluating the program's effectiveness and continuing to work towards a comprehensive solution for the community's crisis response needs.