APRIL 20: Project Employ Mini-Conference & Information Fair

From Project Employ:
We are delighted to invite you as well as students and their families to the PROJECT EMPLOY Transition to Employment Resource Fair!  This FREE event is designed to assist students with intellectual and developmental disabilities age 16-21 years of age and their families learn about the resources and services available to assist them in their pursuit to successful employment and/or higher education.
We will feature a variety of workshops, speakers, and exhibitors providing information about transition and employment services.  There will be representation from Support Service Brokerages, Developmental Disability Services, Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Benefits Counseling and much, much more!


Project Employ Mini-Conference & Information Fair

Wednesday – April 20, 2011 – 3:30 to 8:00pm

Westview High School

4200 NW 185th Avenue – Portland, OR 97229

Clackamas County Housing Resource Fair

Free Clackamas County Housing Resource Fair

Date: March 3rd, 2011

Time: 10:00am-2:30pm

Location: Clackamas Community College, 19600 Molalla Ave. Oregon City, Oregon

This free event will cover topics such as tenant/landlord law, affordable housing options, and housing discrimination. All are welcome. Landlords, tenants, home owners assoc, and buyers are encouraged to attend. Everyone’s welcome to come! Sessions include:

  • Housing Discrimination: Your Housing Rights and Responsibilities
  • Landlord/Tenant Law: What you need to Know
  • Affordable Housing: Local Housing Resources, What’s Available

If you have any housing questions, questions about the housing fair, call Clackamas County’s free Housing Rights and Resources line: 503-650-5750

House Bill 3618 and What it Means to You

The Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 3618 during the February 2010 special session. This bill was signed into law. HB 3618 is directed to “Personal Support Workers” who are defined as persons who are hired by the client or the client’s family or guardian and paid by public funds. We have historically referred to these workers as Domestic Employees in the brokerage system. For reference purposes, this bill can be viewed at: http://www.leg.state.or.us/10ss1/measpdf/hb3600.dir/hb3618.en.pdf

The bill changed the employee designation so that they became eligible for workers’ compensation as of January 1, 2011. The Oregon Home Care Commission (OHCC) has arranged for Workers’ Compensation insurance coverage and will facilitate the processing of Workers’ Compensation claims on behalf of the client/employer. SAIF Corporation is the workers’ compensation insurance carrier.

The OHCC and SAIF have developed a “What to do If You are Injured on the Job” handout to help inform employees of their rights and responsibilities with regard to to workers’ compensation insurance coverage. You may view that document here: http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/spd/adv/hcc/docs/pswhcw.pdf?ga=t

Because of House Bill 3618, Independence Northwest and other brokerages became legally mandated to give a list of all the domestic employees working with our customers to the State of Oregon Department of Human Services, who in turn were mandated to give this list to anyone interested in organizing this group of workers into a union. This occurred in October of 2010 and SEIU has legitimately acquired domestic employee names, phone numbers and addresses. We informed customers of this happening about the same time.

Presently, domestic employees should not be surprised when individuals or groups of individuals from SEIU knock on your door. You have every right to sit down with the representatives of SEIU and discuss the benefits of unionization. You also have the right to refuse to talk to them.

When representatives from SEIU visit with you, you may be asked to sign a union card. If enough domestic employees working with brokerage customers sign a card (30% of the total number of workers) then there will be a vote in which all domestic employees working with brokerage customers will get to decide if they want a union or not. The choice is yours and yours alone.

Independence Northwest has chosen to hold a public neutral stance on organizing efforts. We cannot advise you on whether or not to sign a union card.

APRIL 11th: Washington County Community Forum to Address Budget Issues

Join Washington County advocates as they look for innovative ways to “Keep the Boat Afloat” during difficult economic times.

Please reserve the evening of Monday, April 11th for a county wide community forum to discuss creative ways to address Oregon’s budget plight, and seek proactive solutions in our com-munity to address the housing and service needs of individuals with developmental disabilities. Washington County is known for bringing parents, local and state officials, brokerages, schools and service providers together to build innovative models that support community inclusion. Working together we can stay afloat.

When: Monday April 11th, 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. at Beaverton City Hall.

Participating agencies include:

Families for Independent Living
Daytime Enrichment and Recreation
Washington Developmental Disabilities Council
Housing Independence
Self Determination Resources Inc.
The Edward Center
Independence Northwest
Mentor Oregon