2020 changes
Resource Round-Up: Economic Impact (COVID-19 Stimulus) Payments
The rapid spread of COVID-19 has our entire society sprinting to keep up with new realities, and taking action to respond and manage the impact. Our Oregon IDD advocacy community has been working to keep abreast of that information flow, and share it with people in the ways that they need. The federal Economic Impact Payments are the stimulus funds coming to most Americans to help mitigate the personal financial impact of COVID-19’s protective measures. For members of our community, this is good news, quickly followed by a host of questions centered around what this money will mean for you and the disability and medical benefits you may rely upon. This is an...
Read MoreQuestions 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...
Read MoreWhere to Get Information About COVID-19 in Oregon
The world around us has turned, and we all find ourselves in a strange land of restriction and changed routines. We are all relearning the rules of daily life together, apart from one another. It is normal to feel anxious about how you will manage, and what will happen next. It can help to establish some trusted sources of information for updates and guidance, as we all find our way through to the other side. The Oregon Health Authority is Oregon’s Medicaid agency, and our link to the federal government. They have created a comprehensive COVID-19 website pulling together all kinds of information to keep up with the changing reality. In addition to the latest...
Read MoreOregon 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. Your paid service are funded through a mix of Oregon state funds, and federal Medicaid match funds. You’ll see us advocate each year...
Read MoreCheck-In: The Oregon Needs Assessment and Service Hours
As you have heard from us before, the Oregon Needs Assessment (ONA) is currently being rolled out across the service system. By now, you should have received an ONA assessment from one of the new ONA Assessors located in case management agencies across Oregon. As a part of that process, you were probably told that the assessment is not yet tied to the allocation of services, which still happens through other means. But, when will that change, and what will the impact be on your services? Read on for an update on everything we know, to date. If you qualify for Developmental Disabilities Services, there was likely a time in which you heard about services that might be...
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