Blog & News
Celebrating 10 Years of Support Services: November 3rd, 2011
Dear Community Members: The Oregon Support Services Association is hosting a 10th Birthday Celebration of brokerages providing support services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We invite you to join us for this memorable occasion, to acknowledge the hard work and success of all of us these past 10 years. We will provide more details later, including reservation information. Please put this on your calendar and join us and feel free to forward the information! Thursday, November 3, 2011 Red Lion Hotel, 3301 Market...
read moreApproximately 800 People Set to Lose Brokerage Services OCT 1
As a result of budget cuts during the 2011/2013 session, the State of Oregon Department of Human Services has instructed support services brokerages statewide to exit customers without Medicaid from brokerage services on October 1st. Statewide, it is estimated that 800 people will lose services. If you aren’t on Medicaid and you need help applying, call your Personal Agent at your brokerage as soon as possible. How does eliminating services for people without Medicaid/OHP save the state money? The state currently provides services for...
read moreCelebrating Ten Years of Support Services
Hard to believe, but this summer marks ten years of support services in the state of Oregon. Thanks to House Bill 2600, these services are now in Oregon statute. HISTORY: In January 2000, five individuals with developmental disabilities and their families filed a lawsuit against the state of Oregon.They claimed they were unfairly being denied access to services they were entitled to receive. Staley v. Kitzhaber became a class action representing over 3,000 Oregonians with developmental disabilities. A settlement was reached in September 2000...
read moreOREGONIAN REPORT: Senator Richard Devlin Accused of Trying to Silence Criticism of Union Drive
From The Oregonian’s Jeff Mapes: SALEM — At the behest of Service Employees International Union, Oregon Senate budget chief Richard Devlin sought to stifle criticism of an organizing drive that added more than 7,700 workers to the union’s membership and turned it into the largest in the state. During a drive to organize workers who help care for developmentally disabled Oregonians, Tualatin Democrat wrote a letter to officials who help employ the workers, warning them not to say anything even “mildly” critical of unionization. He also...
read moreOSSA Position on Budget Cuts
The Oregon Support Services Association (OSSA) opposes all cuts to DD services and supports all bills that preserve DD services. Position Statement: If additional funds are available to “buy back” services eliminated in the Governors’ proposed budget, the OSSA advocates that additional funds be spread among all DD services. If funds are returned to the Support Services system, we advocate the following priorities within that system as follows: Restore the 10% reduction to Personal Agent Services Restore services to non waivered individuals...
read moreSEIU Gets Personal Support Workers Vote – Includes Domestic Employees and Independent Contractors
Last week, the vote for SEIU’s unionization of Personal Support Workers was held. Final tally per the Employment Relations Board is 1,873 to 772. This means that Personal Support Workers are now set to be represented by SEIU and arbitration is expected to begin shortly. A Personal Support Worker is defined in House Bill 3618. The majority of domestic employees and independent contractors working with brokerage customers will be affected. Of a potential voting population of 9,000, just 30% voted. The union won the majority of votes cast. Those...
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