by independence northwest | Oct 11, 2018 | 2018 changes, advocacy, policy
Join the Oregon Department of Human Services on Monday October 15th from 1:30pm – 3:00pm either online or in person! DHS Director Fariborz Pakseresht and the DHS Executive Team will present brief program and legislative updates followed by a question-and-answer period.
Join in person, by phone, through live streaming or follow along on Facebook or Twitter.
- When: Monday, October 15, 2018, 1:30 – 3:00 p.m.
- Where: Barbara Roberts Human Services Building, Room 137 500 Summer Street NE in Salem
- How: Conference call 1-866-233-3842; Access Code: 455584#Participate in the conversation by using #ORDHSforum on Twitter
Questions or accommodation requests related to a disability, please contact Communications.DHS@state.or.us. A good faith effort will be made to fulfill requests.
Please forward this message to interested stakeholders and partners.
Note: Deadline for in-person RSVP is Thursday, October 11th.
Read the full announcement here.
by independence northwest | Jul 5, 2018 | 2018 changes, assessments
The Oregon Office of Developmental Disabilities has developed a single assessment tool to be used in determining the support needs of children and adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD). Brokerages and CDDPs have just begun using the new assessment, known as the ONA (Oregon Needs Assessment). The ONA will roll out between now and June 30th, 2019.
To help you understand what’s happening and what to expect, we have developed a new ONA (Oregon Needs Assessment page on our website. The page includes helpful resources, links, frequently asked questions, and more. Check it out by clicking here.
by independence northwest | Mar 6, 2018 | 2018 changes, budget cuts, data, disability history
To: All ODDS Staff and Stakeholders
From: Lilia Teninty, Director, Office of Developmental Disabilities Services
This message includes two timely topics important to the I/DD community: DD Awareness Month and the 2018 legislative session wrap-up.
The Oregon Legislature holds its short session in even-numbered years. Short sessions usually include re-balancing budgets and a limited number of policy items. This year’s session wrapped up last Saturday.
Here are highlights of the ODDS-related items:
- The Legislature approved an investment for the Background Check Unit (BCU) to cover the costs of providing background checks, as well as to increase staffing levels to reduce the current backlog and waiting time.
- Funding for 10 positions for the Children’s Intensive In-Home Services (CIIS) and Children’s Residential programs that were included in the workload model for 2017-19.
- Our plan to achieve the required $12 million overall budget reduction was approved. We expect to meet the full reduction through administrative and management actions, including reducing contracts, taking steps to maximize federal funding, and maintaining cost per case. The plan is designed to prevent reductions in services, eligibility or rates in the current biennium (through June 2019).
- ODDS’s significant legislation includes SB 1534. It directs DHS to collaborate with the Home Care Commission to establish minimum training standards for home care workers and personal support workers. More than 30,000 home care workers and personal support workers serve more than 25,000 vulnerable Oregonians each month. Developing a highly trained, culturally appropriate, and person-centered workforce requires an investment in training opportunities to enhance the safety, stability, and quality of life for those served in-home through the Aging and People with Disabilities and ODDS programs. This bill is waiting the governor’s signature.
March is Developmental Disability Awareness Month!
Every March, the Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities (OCDD) takes the lead in helping Oregonians recognize and celebrate DD Awareness Month. OCDD’s 2018 #BetterTogether photo rally will celebrate people with disabilities as valued members of their communities and highlight the many ways in which people with and without disabilities come together to form strong, diverse communities.
We encourage you to participate by sending photos to OCDD of people with I/DD with friends, family members, co-workers, neighbors or other members of the community. You can also post pictures on the Council’s Facebook page. Use the hashtag #BetterTogether18. Details are online on the Council’s website.
Sincerely,
Lilia Teninty, Director
Office of Developmental Disabilities Services
by independence northwest | Feb 22, 2018 | 2018 changes, advocacy, budget cuts
(L – R) – John Griffiths, Larry Deal, Leslie Sutton, Ross Ryan, Lissa Peterson, Kaaren Londahl, Ryley Newport
INW is proud to be part of the Oregon Developmental Disabilities Coalition advocacy efforts with legislators in Salem. There are two more DD Advocacy Days left during the 2018 short session: Tuesday February 27th and Tuesday March 6th, 2018.
Follow this link to learn more about how you can make your voice heard by connecting with Oregon lawmakers on issues related to eligibility changes and ongoing funding for home and community based services for Oregonians with I/DD.
by independence northwest | Nov 7, 2017 | 2017 changes, 2018 changes, assessments, budget cuts, customers, k plan
On October 30th, 2017, Oregon Developmental Disabilities Director Lilia Teninty released the following statement regarding the Oregon Needs Assessment:
“We’ve reached some important milestones I want to share with you. The summary below reflects a great deal of work done by everyone in our service system – ODDS staff, CDDP and Brokerage staff, providers, people with I/DD and their families. Thank you for your thoughtful feedback and your efforts to help us get to this point.
The journey to create the ONA started in 2013. The Legislature told ODDS to implement a single, uniform assessment tool. It would be used for everyone we support, regardless of setting.
We engaged a stakeholder group for the project. We also hired Mission Analytics Group. Mission Analytics’ role was to ensure the ONA is a validated tool for all service settings.
The project team members have been diligent. They worked through technical challenges, revisions to the questions, and more. They conducted hundreds of assessments that were used to test the validity and reliability of the ONA. They managed two rounds of pilot testing.
We are close to rolling out the ONA. All individuals receiving I/DD services will be assessed using the ONA in 2018. We need to start the ONA assessments in January to be able to collect data needed for the Compass Project.
Based on input from advocates and partners, we asked CDDPs and Brokerages to work with us to identify staff to administer the ONA. CDDPs and Brokerages are identifying staff in their entities to perform the assessments. The ODDS assessment team will also assist with administering ONAs in rural areas of the state.
From January through June, staff will use both the ONA and the current assessment tool. In July, the ONA will be the official assessment. The ODDS assessment team will train the CDDP and Brokerage staff who will use the tool. The team will also provide technical assistance and quality assurance. They will do this to ensure the tool is administered consistently across the state.
The ONA will be administered by a staff person who is not the person’s case manager.
Benefits of separating case management from the assessment include:
- Removes real or perceived conflicts of interest.
- Improves objectivity and consistency.
- The case manager may still take part in the assessment. The case manager will not be responsible for the results of the assessment itself. Instead, the case manager can support the person and provide information to inform responses.
Our journey to create the ONA is reaching its destination. Thank you to the many people who are making it possible.”
