Blog & News
Who is OSSA?
Dear Personal Agents, Brokerage office staff, Lead Personal Agents, Operations Managers, Fiscal Managers, accounting staff, Provider Coordinators, Resource Managers, and every other Brokerage staff member, At the start of February 2015, you hired me to serve as your Executive Director. Did you know that? The Oregon Support Services Association represents the 13 Brokerages around the state of Oregon. OSSA’s board of directors is comprised of the 13 Executive Directors of each Brokerage. But OSSA is so much more than that—our membership...
read moreOregon I/DD Advocates Testify to Senate Committee on eXPRS State Payment System Implementation Concerns
On Tuesday, Oregon Support Services Association’s Executive Director Katie Rose testified to a Senate committee regarding the state’s roll out and implementation of its payment system, eXPRS. Additional testimony was provided by Margaret Theisen (CEO of the state’s largest brokerage Full Access), Chris Burnett (Executive Director of Oregon Rehabilitation Association,) Gary Zenzen and Chris Schwartz (from provider organization Partnerships in Community Living,) Lilia Teninty (Director of Oregon’s Intellectual and...
read moreBrokerage Association Announces Leadership Changes in 2015
In the spirit of the new year, the Oregon Support Services Association announces two changes in leadership. Larry Deal, Executive Director of Independence Northwest brokerage, has assumed the role of OSSA President. He follows in the footsteps of Margaret Theisen, whose tenure spanned the birth of the brokerage association and four incredible years of unprecedented growth and change. We are deeply indebted and grateful to Margaret for her influential and principled leadership. Margaret passed the torch to Larry after the...
read moreeXPRS Trainings for Personal Support Workers Scheduled in Portland Metro and Mid-Valley Areas
In January 2015, the Oregon Department of Human Services is putting on a series of trainings on their electronic billing system eXPRS. The trainings are specifically geared toward Personal Support Workers. You may attend a training at any of the sites below, whether you serve individuals at the particular brokerage or county. Be sure to RSVP by emailing ODDS.training@state.or.us. Please note: RSVP-ing in the comments section below does not guarantee you a space at one of the trainings. Please email ODDS.training@state.or.us to reserve your...
read moreToday: Brokerage Association Director, State DD Director and Provider Organization Director Talk I/DD System Changes on OPB’s Think Out Loud
Tune in today at noon on Oregon Public Broadcasting- OPB’s Think Out Loud. Listen in as brokerage association Executive Director Kathryn Weit, ODDS Director Lilia Teninty and provider organization director Shanya Luther discuss changes to Oregon’s intellectual and developmental disability services. From OPB: Oregon’s system for delivering home and community-based services to seniors and people with disabilities is in the process of being completely overhauled. The state has said that the new system will increase the amount of...
read moreAn Update on Systems Vision and Direction from Brokerage Association President Margaret Theisen
On Monday, November 10, 2014, Kathryn Weit, OSSA Executive Director and I participated in a vision and values discussion organized by the Office of Developmental Disabilities Services and the Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities. Later in the day I stopped on the way home for groceries and when asked how my day was by the clerk, I said my day was excellent. I can’t recall the last time I said that about work! I surprised myself with that comment. We spent an entire day discussing and refining the language for the values and vision...
read moreState Delays eXPRS Implementation and Employment Rate Changes to Fall 2014
Late Friday afternoon (05.30.2014), Interim DD Director Trisha Baxter released the following statement to the I/DD community: “As you are aware we have many priorities that we are focusing on, all with a July 1 implementation date. We have heard from many of you that these converging priorities are causing angst, stress and strain on you, and on the system. We, as well, are discovering the complexities of handling so many moving parts all at once. As such, based upon feedback from many of you and weighing our internal priorities and...
read moreState Looks to Reduced Rates for Supported Employment and Day Program Providers; Community Responds
On May 9, 2014, during a monthly meeting with brokerage directors, ODDS staff shared potential rate decreases to providers of Supported Employment and Day Habilitation (ATE programs). The proposed reduction would occur across the comprehensive and brokerage systems and go live as early as July 1st, 2014. Last week, the Oregon Support Services Association, the Oregon I/DD Coalition, the Oregon Rehabilitation Association and the Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities each submitted letters to state leadership asking the state to...
read moreAn Interview with Brokerage Association Leader Kathryn Weit (Part One)
By Larry Deal Executive Director, Independence Northwest Communications Director, Oregon Support Services Association I recently sat down with newly-appointed Oregon Support Services Association Executive Director Kathryn Weit to discuss her history, her thoughts on the brokerage system, the implementation of the K Plan, and where she sees brokerage services headed. Kathryn has been a hugely influential player in services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities both in the northwest and nationally. She played an integral...
read moreOSSA Advocacy and Educational Statement on Systemic Changes
Read OSSA’s advocacy and education document related to current systemic changes here.
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