Blog & News

A lot of work is underway at the Oregon Office of Developmental Disabilities Services (ODDS). Either you have heard about it, or you are going to start hearing about it soon. Changes are coming to processes, forms, service rates, case management, ISPs, and so much more. In order to understand all of this change, we need to revisit some recent history and follow the path to where we currently stand.

The 2021 full Legislative session came to an end right on schedule this past weekend, after a session full of twists, turns, and historic investments in the intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) system. As you may recall, this legislative session was the first in Oregon’s history to be conducted remotely, with no public access to the Capitol Building in Salem. Our experience as advocates was certainly different than in typical sessions.

A transition is coming to Brokerage services in the Portland and Mid-Valley areas. The Mentor Network will no longer provide services in Oregon after August 31st, 2021. Unexpected change can be unsettling, but there is a plan underway to maintain support without interruption to people currently using Mentor Brokerage services. We are pleased and fortunate to have established Brokerage organizations that are willing to come together to ensure that these services continue and that people get what they need.

Here at the mid-point of the 2021 Oregon Legislative Session, we take the chance to reflect on this unusual year of virtual hearings and Zoom meetings, and the progress we have made thus far. Many of the nearly 2,500 bills introduced this session have died, meaning that they will not move forward this session to become law. The work of creating and approving the state budget for the next two years, a major item on the session to-do list, is moving into high gear. There is still a lot of advocacy left to do to share your perspective and priorities with legislators as they make decisions about how to spend money over the coming biennium. Let's talk about what is left to do, and how you can make an impact.