Compass! Blueprint! Change Is In the Air
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.
End of 2021 Legislative Session Recap Pt 1: Budget
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.
Coming Soon: Mentor Brokerage Transition
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.
Social and Emotional Wellness While Staying Home
Oregonians all across the state have worked hard to keep up with the changing rules and realities of the COVID-19 pandemic. It asks of us a near-constant recalculation that is exhausting: is it okay for me to engage in this action? How can I get this need met safely? Am I doing everything I can do for the people who matter to me? What can I do now to prepare for what’s next? Our logical brains are overloaded, and our emotions are all over the place, as we grieve habits and people lost to us, and worry about the world around us. How do we maintain our emotional and mental wellness, in this time and place?
COVID-19 and Oregon's Brokerage Community
Oregonians are all working incredibly hard to keep up with the changing rules and realities of the COVID-19 pandemic. For our social service entities, this has meant delaying long-term projects and other critical work in order to pick up the work of sharing goods, resources, and information with their communities. Health and safety in the time of COVID-19 is an ever-changing effort. It requires an immense amount of extra work, communication, and personal connection with people, even as in-person contact is limited.
Questions Corner: DD Services in the Time of COVID-19
If you are enrolled and receiving DD services, chances are you have felt the shift in those routines, along with everything else. You may be wondering what is allowed, in this new world, and how you can get your needs met. We’d like to help by sharing the information we have currently. Please note that, due to the incredibly fast rate of change in the pandemic situation, change in policy is happening quickly as well. It’s important that policy move quickly to keep up with changing needs. However, that pace of change means that what was true yesterday may not be true today. We hope you will have patience with your Personal Agents and providers as they scramble to keep on top of the latest guidance.
Oregon Needs Assessment: The Power of Diverse Supports
Change can be scary. As we have talked about previously, the new Oregon Needs Assessment (ONA) will result in changes to personal resource allocations sometime in the next year or two. Our lives aren’t always predictable, and when our supports aren’t either, it can be difficult. We will always advocate for stable, secure DD service funding to improve the lives of Oregonians with developmental disabilities. But what else can we do to combat the ups and downs of public funding levels? Let’s talk more about that.
Blueprint Project Has Designs On Improving Case Management
If you or someone you care about receives developmental disability services in Oregon, then they have a case manager through a Brokerage, a Community Developmental Disability Program, or the state of Oregon Department of Human Services. And, chances are, you have some thoughts on how we can improve the process of connecting people to resources, advocating for their needs, supporting their goals, and helping them to navigate the service system in support of a good life.