January 11th, 2021 marks the first official day of the 2021 Oregon Legislative Session. Though bills are being released for review and other familiar processes are moving forward, this is not business-as-usual. The 2021 Session will take place in a mostly virtual fashion–there will be little human presence in the state capitol building, and legislative activities from committee hearings to lobbying will take place remotely. The Oregon Legislative Information System (OLIS) has long been an excellent resource to find out what’s going on in Oregon’s legislative process. For example, you can view a calendar of events on the pgage, and access each...
Read MoreWe are all tired. Tired from worrying about how we’ll meet our needs without work or support. Tired from caring for our families and keeping them well and safe. Tired from adjusting, constantly, to our changing world. And the last thing we all want to talk about right now are budget reductions. That is true for our government officials, our state agency leadership, and each and every person attached to social services in Oregon. But, this is where we are–the Office of Developmental Disabilities, at the request of the Governor’s Office, has released a proposal of reduction options this week. So, let’s set our tired aside for a moment, and review the facts, and what to...
Read MoreIf 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. The Oregon Office of Developmental Disability Services (ODDS) has contracted with Health Management Associates (HMA) to make recommendations on how to improve Oregon’s case management for all people...
Read More