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Portland Police Bureau Disability Accommodation Registry

The Portland Police Bureau Disability Accommodation Registry is a  voluntary registry for people with developmental, mental health or physical disabilities who may have difficulty communicating their needs to an officer because of an acute crisis or a continuing disability. The Disability Accommodation Registry has been a Portland Police Bureau program since 1996.

Who can register

Individuals with mental health, developmental or physical disabilities, or their legal guardian, may register for the program:

  • If you have a disability and you are your own guardian. If you feel there are times when you may be unable to tell a police officer about your disability, you are encouraged to register.
  • Legal guardians can register individuals who may have difficulty communicating with police.
  • Parents can register minor children who are eligible for the program.

Why register

By participating in the DAR program, you are sharing important information with law enforcement that can enable them to better assist you or someone you are responsible for. Here are two examples where DAR information is extremely helpful:

  • If a DAR participant gets lost in the community, the officer can use the emergency contact information to locate the participant’s support system.
  • If a DAR participant is in a crisis situation, the officer can get more information about their particular needs.

How to register

To register yourself:

  • Fill out the attached form completely.
  • You will need a contact person (family member, caseworker, caregiver, doctor or other) to sign the form as a witness to your informed consent. You must have another person sign on the “Witness” line.
  • Have your contact person fill out the “Contact Information.”

To register someone if you are their guardian:

  • Fill out the attached form completely.
  • Attach a certified copy of the guardianship papers to the completed DAR form. Guardianship papers must be sent in each year, even if the person has been registered in the past. Parents registering minor children do not need to send proof of guardianship.
  • You will need to sign on the guardian signature line. No witness signature is necessary with guardian signature.

How frequently do you have to register

Registrations are updated annually. A new form must be completed every year in order to continue as a participant in the DAR. A reminder letter and new form are sent to registrants each year. You may withdraw from the registry or change your information at any time.

Can you still be arrested if you register with the DAR

Registration in the program will not prevent anyone from being arrested if a crime has been committed. However, DAR information allows police and jail personnel access to pertinent information regarding the registrant’s special needs.

How information is used

DAR information is entered into the Portland Police Data System. When an officer comes in contact with a person who has signed up for the DAR, and their name is entered into the officer’s computer system, the name comes back noting they are a participant in the DAR and provides the officer with the information you provided on the registration form.

All information in this system is governed by Oregon Public Records law applying to the Portland Police Data System. Information will be released to public agencies for public agency purposes.

Mail completed form to:

Portland Police Bureau, Disability Accommodation Registry

Family Services Division

10225 E. Burnside Street, Portland, OR 97216

Or

Fax completed form to: 503-823-0078

Questions about the program may be directed to:

Freda Vanderberg

Police Administrative Support Specialist

Portland Police Bureau

Family Services Division

503-823-0090

Disability Accommodation Registry Form (PDF Document, 1,097kb)

Full Life Presents Measure 66/67 Fundraiser This Saturday 01.16.10

From Full Life:

Please join us for a full evening live music which all benefits goes to YES on 66 and 67!
Measures 66 and 67 will protect nearly $1 billion in funding for our classrooms, senior care, and other critical services. But most people–including your friends and family–don’t know there’s an election coming up, or that they should vote YES.

A YES vote on Measures 66 and 67 will protect health care coverage for tens of thousands of Oregon’s working families by protecting almost $1 billion in funding for essential services such as healthcare, education, and public safety.

January 16th…Saturday

from 6:30 til 11:00 pm

$5.00 (all proceeds go to YES on 66 and 67)

Class Warfare: A Willamette Week Review of Measures 66 & 67

From WWeek:

BY NIGEL JAQUISS

What a way to start the new year.

We get to vote on raising taxes. Twice, actually.

Oregon voters will soon receive ballots asking them to vote on Measure 66, which would raise personal income taxes on the highest-income Oregonians, and Measure 67, which would increase corporate income taxes.

The Democratic-controlled Legislature already approved the tax hikes in 2009, but opponents then gathered enough signatures to put them on the ballot for voters to decide.

Tax policy is thorny. It’s never so simple as “taxes are good as long as someone else pays them.” In fact, if you take a close look at this state’s tax structure, you will often see a reflection of our collective psyche. Nothing speaks to the stubborn individualism of Oregon quite like our continued refusal to adopt a sales tax, for example.

To dispel some of the overheated rhetoric surrounding the tax hikes, here’s a look at how we got here and what our collective response to Measures 66 and 67 may say about Oregonians as we enter a new decade.

Oh, and WW’s editorial board also tells you at the end how we think you should vote.

What would Measure 66 do?

It would raise the state income tax rate from 9 percent to 10.8 percent on an individual’s personal income between $125,000 and $250,000, and to 11 percent on every dollar above $250,000. The measure would also eliminate the state income tax on the first $2,400 of unemployment income. The Legislative Revenue Office, which crunches numbers for lawmakers, projects fewer than 3 percent of Oregonians would pay this increased tax—that’s why some people call the measure “class warfare.”

How about Measure 67?

Measure 67 is a lot more complicated. First, corporations with no taxable income now pay a minimum $10 tax. This measure would raise the minimum to $150. It would also raise the corporate income tax rate on companies with profits to 7.9 percent, compared to the current 6.6 percent. This measure would do something completely new, as well: It would create a new tax on companies with more than $500,000 in annual sales but no taxable profits. All companies would pay the new minimum tax or the 7.9 percent tax on profits, whichever is higher.

Continue article here.

Celebrate! Bridges to Independence Event Next Monday

What: CELEBRATE! A drag show featuring performers with developmental disabilities and allies
Date: Monday, January 11th, 2010.
Time: Door opens at 6:30pm, show 7:30-9:30pm
Where: Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center, 5340 N. Interstate Ave. (at Killingsworth)
See below for more info, or contact Bridges to Independence.

More information on their website.

From Willamette Week:

I’ll fess up. My 2010 resolution to keep an open mind was already tested when I read a recent email from Bridges to Independence, a local nonprofit that helps adults with developmental disablities learn life skills, from money management to job training and sex ed. “We’re holding a fundraiser featuring drag performances by artists with developmental disabilities and [their] allies,” wrote Bridges board president Emi Koyama. “The show will also launch the agency’s LGBTQ+DD Program to serve specific needs of those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer.” I’m all for supporting both the rights of gay and differently abled locals, but dressing up disabled people in wigs and heels and having them lip sync to Gloria Gaynor seems like the worst idea ever—or at least like a creepy, exploitative episode of Glee that never made it past the network brass. Not so, according to Koyama. She says a number of the 80-plus high-functioning people with developmental disablities (“DD” for short) at Bridges self-identify as gay—and there’s many more who need help and support revealing their sexuality to their families. Koyama, who is queer, hopes a big, bold coming-out party like this will be just the ticket to connect Portland’s DD community with gay allies—and have a little dragilicious fun in the process.

WW: Why is it hard for LGBTQ-DD people to come out?

Emi Koyama: People with DD in general are supposed to be non-sexual. [As recently as the past century] they were even sterilized and could not reproduce. There’s still this idea [in the DD community that] “My son or daughter [with DD] should never have anything to do with sex.” On top of that, obviously the [gay] taboo becomes more significant if your parents are conservative. Because many people with DD rely on parents for housing [and financial] support.

But a drag show? That seems too sexual.

It’s a way to get everybody involved and make a stand. In Portland, a drag show is not a big deal, but within this community it’s a really big deal…I want people to have pride. I am worried about how families of people with DD [in general] will react to this idea (although not those who already work with Bridges). Some people feel this is not appropriate for this community because they [think] individuals with DD are like children. But they are not children. They are adults. And most adults have some kind of sexual desire and identities and experiences. That’s often denied to people with disabilities. Even being seen as performers with a need to express themselves [is a] big deal…. [Next year] we’re applying for a grant to be in the Portland Pride Parade.

Do you have any idea what your clients will be performing to?
I think one performer [with DD] is doing “Barbie Girl.” And one of the drag kings said she wanted to do a country song. It’s still…developing.

A Message from the Yes on 66/67 Campaign

A Message from the Yes on 66/67 Campaign:

The fight to protect Oregon’s schools and critical services is about to get even more exciting. This week, ballots for Measures 66 and 67 will begin arriving in mailboxes around the state.

We have just two short weeks to make sure that Oregonians get the facts, know what’s at stake, and Get Out The Vote! Right now, we’re winning, but winning on January 26 all depends on getting all of our supporters to turn out and vote YES. Contact the campaign today to find out how you can get involved to make sure that January 26 is a night for celebrating.

Now is the time to get involved and make sure that voters all over Oregon know only a YES vote will protect the services we care about, including over $390 million for education and other services for children, funding for lifesaving prescription drugs and home care that helps low-income seniors remain independent.

Already, over 600 Oregonians just like you have volunteered at the Vote Yes for Oregon Campaign, and hundreds more have given time through our more than 200 coalition partners.

Phone banks and neighborhood walks are happening in counties across the state. It’s easy to find and sign up for opportunities to talk to your neighbors about why we need to vote YES on 66 and 67!

Voter’s Assistance for People with Disabilities January 20th

From The Arc of Multnomah Clackamas:

The Arc of Multnomah/Clackamas, in concert with Self-Advocates as Leaders (SAAL) and Multnomah County People First will be offering assistance to anyone with IDD who needs help with voting on Measures 66-67 on Wednesday, January 20, from 2 pm to 5 pm in the first floor conference room at the United Way Building, 619 SW 11th, next to The Arc office (this ‘open house’ is not sponsored or affiliated with United Way).

We hopefully will have added assistance from Jan Anderson of Disability Rights of Oregon.  We’ll be available to directly assist individuals with voting on these measures.

If you have questions, please feel free to contact me, Bill West, Case Coordinator at The Arc at 503-935-5224.  These sessions are usually very informal and very individualized.

New Abuse Laws in Effect as of January 1st, 2010

From a release by the Department of Human Services:

House Bill 2442 has changed the legal definitions of abuse for adults with developmental disabilities beginning January 1st, 2010. Abuse definitions are now the same no matter what type of service a person is receiving. All care providers and people who have a trust relationship with an individual are subject to the new definitions.

Here is a summary of the abuse definitions for which protective services are provided and an abuse investigation must be conducted:

  • Abandonment – desertion by a caregiver who has assumed responsibility for all or a portion of the person’s care.
  • Financial exploitation – wrongfully taking or threatening to take funds or property, misusing money, failing to use a person’s money for their benefit.
  • Involuntary Seclusion – restricting freedom of movement to a part of a facility or program for convenience of a caregiver or as discipline, unless agreed to in a plan. This includes confinement in a home setting.
  • Neglect – withholding services needed for the health and well-being of a person (such as food, medical care) and that causes harm. Failing to provide the necessary care, supervision and services that causes harm or creates a significant risk of harm.
  • Physical abuse – inflicting pain or injury or injury by other than accidental meansor injuries appearing to be at variance with the explanation.
  • Restraint – physical or chemical restraint not part of a plan or prescribed by a doctor.
  • Sexual abuse – nonconsensual sexual contact, harassment or exploitation. Sexual contact with an employee, paid caregiver or any relative (except spouse or partner.)
  • Verbal abuse – including threats, derogatory names, ridicule, humiliation directed at the person. Failing to make a reasonable effort to protect the person under their care.

For further information on the changes contact your local county abuse investigator or the
DHS Office of Investigations and Training at  2575 Bittern St., NE (Yaquina Hall, #33) Salem, OR 97310. Phone:  (503) 945-9495

The Latest Issue of GO! Bulletin Out Now – News on Measures 66 & 67

Check out the latest issue of the Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities’ GO! Bulletin here.

What's in this issue:
A Message from the Oregon DD Coalition Chair
State Issues
Register to Vote
Training
Resources

A MESSAGE TO OUR FRIENDS

Occasionally, people ask why the DD Coalition takes positions on Ballot Measures and whether we are actually allowed to legally take these positions.

The answer to the question of whether we are legally allowed to take positions on Ballot Measures is YES. A 501c3 is allowed to take positions on ballot measures. We are not allowed to take positions on candidates running for office.

Why does the DD Coalition care about these Measures?

The DD Coalition is comprised of nearly 30 organizations representing individuals with developmental disabilities, families, providers, and advocacy groups focused on issues of importance to people with developmental disabilities and their families. Ballot Measures 66 & 67 will affect the DD community profoundly and it is important that our voice is heard. Services for people with developmental disabilities have already been cut and additional cuts will be devastating.

The DD Coalition believes that individuals with developmental disabilities, families, and those who provide support and services have a right to know about and participate in the decisions that will affect their lives. The outcome of the vote on Measures 66 & 67 will overwhelmingly affect the DD community and the quality of life for all Oregonians.

For these reasons, the DD Coalition urges you to get informed, educate your friends and neighbors, and Vote Yes on Measures 66 &67.

Margaret Theisen, Chair
Oregon DD Coalition

Free Clothing – The Closet at Roosevelt High – Dec 14th & 15th

WHAT:
A donation clothes closet for children
ages birth to 18

WHERE:
Roosevelt High School’s Shop Building.
(Entrance behind Roosevelt on
N. Smith St.)

WHEN:
* Monday, Dec. 14th 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
* Tuesday, Dec. 15th 5:00-7:00 p.m.

Thanks to Natasha Roe for the tip.

SALEM: Applebee’s Donating a Portion of Proceeds to OrPTI Tomorrow

Applebee’s is helping the OrPTI Support Parents of Students Experiencing Disabilities.

November 21, 2009
8:00 AM – 10:00 AM

At the  Applebee’s Restaurant located at:
747 Lancaster Drive N.E. Salem, Oregon
(S.E. Corner of Lancaster Mall Parking Lot)

Cost: $7.00 per person
Come enjoy: Pancakes, Sausage, Fruit & Choice of Drink!

$5.00 of every ticket goes directly to the
Oregon Parent Training & Information Center.
www.orpti.org

Every dollar counts, come join us for breakfast, and watch the OrPTI Staff and Board Members in action.
We’ll be your hostesses, servers, dishwashers and more!!!

For more information or to purchase your ticket please contact:
Danielle Bethell
(503) 581-8156, ext.105
or email her at dbethell@orpti.org

Empower Oregon

About Empower Oregon:

We are workers dedicated to providing quality human services and opportunities to live with independence and dignity for the individuals we serve: People with mental, emotional or behavioral disorders; adults with developmental disabilities; individuals struggling to overcome substance abuse addictions and people who are homeless. The essential services we provide help our clients become healthier, more productive members of our community.

Like the rest of the nation, Oregon is facing a severe economic crisis. Our state leaders have taken bold steps to preserve essential human services by passing new laws to increase tax fairness and ensure that corporations and the wealthy are doing their part.

We are uniting our voices now to protect and improve these vital services and hope you will join us in taking action.

Family Blogs on Autism

Autism Learning Felt – A website hosted by the mother of children with autism.  Full of resources and anecdotes.

Mothering Autism – Words of personal experience, opinion, and lessons learned about mothering a child on the spectrum with autism, his younger sister, marriage, finances, and seeking out a sense of self.

Autism, Aspergers and More, Oh My!Following an abrupt introduction into the world of Special Needs children after the birth of my very premature (14 weeks to be precise) son I embarked on a journey. If you are reading these words I suspect you or someone you know is traveling a similar path. My intention in these pages is to share information about the therapies and treatments that are within the scope of my experience as a parent.


Autism: An Introduction for Parents and Guide to Oregon’s Human Service System

Autism: An Intro­duc­tion for Par­ents and Guide to Oregon’s Human Ser­vice Sys­tem, Fifth Edi­tion (2005)

The book­let was writ­ten and edited by two moth­ers of chil­dren with autism. It gives basic infor­ma­tion about the dis­abil­ity and sum­ma­rizes resources avail­able through the Depart­ment of Human Services.

Catherine Strong and Mary Anne Seaton first produced this booklet in 1996 as a labor of love. Both are parents of children with autism. They met when Catherine’s daughter was diagnosed 12 years ago and Mary Anne visited their home to answer the questions that Catherine and her husband Ted had about autism. That kitchen-table conversation was the inspiration for this booklet.

Download here.

Via OTAC

Share Your Feedback with the Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities

The Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities is conducting its annual satisfaction survey. From their website:

Each year the Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities conducts a brief survey to measure customer satisfaction with activities, projects and programs that the Council sponsors or co-sponsors. The results of this survey will be included in the Council’s annual report to the federal Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD). Survey results will also help the Council plan for the coming year.

We hope you will take a few minutes to complete this survey. You only need to answer questions related to one activity, project or program that you are most familiar with. Please respond by Friday, November 27, 2009.

Disability Resource Exchange

Disability Resource Exchange is a place to discuss disability issues. Currently over 600 members strong, the site has an active forum for people with disabilities to connect with one another and share resources. Check it out here.

About the site:

Welcome to the Disability Resource Exchange. Hello my name is Rudy and I am the administrator of this social network. I have a disability called cerebral palsy and I am in a wheelchair. I hope this can become a place of vibrant discussion about disability issues from the prospectives of both those with disabilities and those people without disabilities. I am 31 and I have been disabled all my life I hope this can be a place where we share ideas, stories, help and support one another

Applebee’s in Salem Assisting OrPTI with Fundraising

Applebee’s is helping the OrPTI Support Parents of Students Experiencing Disabilities.

November 21, 2009
8:00 AM – 10:00 AM

At the  Applebee’s Restaurant located at:
747 Lancaster Drive N.E. Salem, Oregon
(S.E. Corner of Lancaster Mall Parking Lot)

Cost: $7.00 per person
Come enjoy: Pancakes, Sausage, Fruit & Choice of Drink!

$5.00 of every ticket goes directly to the
Oregon Parent Training & Information Center.
www.orpti.org

Every dollar counts, come join us for breakfast, and watch the OrPTI Staff and Board Members in action.
We’ll be your hostesses, servers, dishwashers and more!!!

For more information or to purchase your ticket please contact:
Danielle Bethell
(503) 581-8156, ext.105
or email her at dbethell@orpti.org

Eastern Oregon Training Center Closes

Yesterday the last person living in Eastern Oregon Training center moved out making Oregon one of only two states in our country without an ICFMR.

From The East Oregonian:

The activity room at Eastern Oregon Training Center is hushed now, only the bubbling of a fish tank breaking the ghostly silence.

Direct care staffer Eileen Waggoner can still hear echoes of voices and laughter in her mind from days gone by, along with soft jazz from the boom box, a whirlwind of cutting and pasting, tambourine banging, Yahtzee and Bingo, the planting of marigold seeds.

Now most of the clients are moved out to residential settings and even the nine fish in the activity room need homes. The final three clients move out Tuesday.

EOTC has been on and off the chopping block for years, but finally the axe blade hit firmly this year when Oregon legislators directed that EOTC’s 40 residents move to smaller neighborhood group housing by the end of October.

“It’s really sad – I’ve been here 28 years,” Waggoner said. “They are family.

Nurse Conrad Bozlee worked two stints at EOTC, plus ten years at Salem’s Fairview Training Center. Bozlee said care of the developmentally disabled has evolved from warehousing to immersion.

“At the turn of the century, institutions were built to remove them from the spotlight,” he said. “They were considered to be evil – a blight on society. It was a fancy way to say they were scum.”

Fairview opened in 1908 as the Oregon State Institution for the Feeble-Minded. During World War II, society softened its view, Bozlee said, and began viewing the developmentally disabled as innocents who would forever remain children. Institutionalizing them, however, was still the norm.

Later, civil rights activism prompted changes.

“A lot of money went into mainstreaming,” Bozlee said. “People started asking, ‘Why are these people in prison when they never committed a crime?'”

With the latest move to community settings, he said, “Oregon is actually ahead of the curve.”
Continue reading

Thanks for Kathryn Weit for the link.

Emerging Leaders Northwest

emergingleadersnwEmerging Leaders Northwest is a community, web-based information and guidance center for young adults with disabilities. The organization provides ways to develop leadership skills through workshops and trainings, mentorships and internships and an interactive website. ELN works closely with yound adults with disabilities between the ages of 13 and 30.

ELN provides a wide variety of trainings including:

  • Your Education and How to Succeed
  • Solving the Employment Puzzle
  • Healthy Lifestyles
  • Disability Culture and Family
  • Person Centered Planning

ELN currently has internships available through: Portland Development Commission, City of Portland, PacifiCorp, State of Oregon, McMenamins, PGE, Care Medical and OHSU.

For more information check out their website at www.emergingleadersnw.org and contact Chuck Davis at 503.494.3281 for more information.

Halloween Party Through Emerging Leaders NW and Children’s Healing Art Project

Who: People w/ disabilities interested in a Halloween Party!
When: Saturday, October 31st from 2:00pm-4:00pm
Where: 1030 NW Marshall in the Pearl
What: Costume Party/Dance

This will be a great opportunity to for young people with disabilities to learn about what we do, meet new friends and have a great time.   Many thanks to the Children’s Healing Art Project for allowing us to join this event!

Emerging Leaders Northwest is a youth led resource center for young people with disabilities ages 13 – 30 which provides training and resources on leadership, independence, getting a high school diploma and going on to college, self-advocacy, employment skills and living a healthy lifestyle.  Youth leaders facilitate training for their peers and act as mentors.  Leaders may also gain valuable employment experience by participating in internships in business and non-profit entities.

Our meetings are held the fourth Friday of each month from 1:00 – 3:00 PM at the Child Development and Rehabilitation Center, Room 1125,  707 SW Gaines Street, Portland, OR 97207.

For more information contact Rob Pollock
(971) 244-0305 or Rob@incight.org
www.emergingleadersnw.org
www.chap.name

Do You Need Subsidized Housing? Short Window for Openings

Waiting lists at six public housing communities for seniors and persons with disabilities will be open October 12 – 16, 2009.

Click here for information.

How to Apply
Application forms will be available on Monday, October 12 at the apartment communities or at www.hapdx.org. Completed applications may be submitted by mail to the addresses above. Applications must be postmarked between October 12 – 16. by fax to 503.802.8488. Only applications faxed between October 12 and 4:30 p.m. on October 16 will be accepted. in person from 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. October 12 – 16 at the addresses listed above.

Eligibility Requirements
Applicants and/or co-applicants must be elderly (62 or older) or disabled. Total household income must be less than 80% of the area median income to qualify. Please call one of the sites above or visit www.hapdx.org for current income guidelines.

For More Information
Call HAP’s public housing hotline at 503.288.5750, visit www.hapdx.org/options/phapply.html or contact the apartment staff at the phone numbers listed above.

* Applicants for 2-bedroom ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) apartment waiting lists will need to provide
documentation verifying they require an ADA unit prior to moving in.

Independent Living Resources

Independent Living Resources (ILR) is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people with all disabilities. The agency provides services using both staff and volunteers.

Classes/Groups:

  • Art
  • Cooking “Individualized Assessments”
  • Crossroads Discussion (TBI) Group
  • Peer Counseling Class
  • Ready to Rent
  • Visually Impaired Support Group
  • Women’s Support Group
  • Writing Group

For class schedule see ILR’s Newsletter.

Healthy Lifestyles – Healthy Lifestyles is a self directed goal setting program to help individuals live a healthier life. This program also offers ongoing mentoring. To learn about Healthy Lifestyles, please call Sarah Gerth at 503-232-7411 or
E-mail:sarah@ilr.org.

Housing – ILR can answer many questions about housing for you. We can provide help with the following:

  • Advocacy and Education
  • Community “Tenants Rights and Responsibilities” Training
  • Fair Housing Amendments Act
  • Landlord/Tenant Mediation
  • Ready to Rent Class

Skills Instruction – At ILR we offer skills instruction, both individual and in small groups, which can help people with disabilities acquire skills to live more independently.

Examples of topics:

  • Anger management
  • Braille and Orientation & Mobility Instruction
  • Communication Skills
  • Household Management
  • Leisure/Recreation
  • Personal Safety
  • Pre-vocational Information
  • Self-Esteem
  • Social Skills

Sports/Outdoor Recreation – For people with disabilities who are interested in sports or the outdoors please join us. We offer a variety of outings and activities. Please contact Patricia Kepler at 503-232-7411 or patricia@ilr.org if you are interested in learning more about our outdoor recreation program.

Volunteer Program – ILR’s services are provided by both staff and volunteers. Volunteers are essential to the success of this organization. They enable us to provide services without exceeding our budget. Volunteers serve in many capacities at ILR, including the Board of Directors, peer counselors, and teachers. Please contact Sarah Naomi Campbell sarahnaomi@ilr.org if you find interest in becoming an ILR volunteer. Download Volunteer Application

STEPS Program – It’s often said that knowledge is power. STEPS empowers participants by providing information about rights and responsibilities, and helping them develop the skills needed to hire and manage Homecare Workers.Call Suzanne to sign up for the next workshop at ILR.  Each workshop is from 10:00 AM until 3:00 PM, and lunch and snacks are included.  Eligible participants (see below) will receive a comprehensive handbook, follow-up services as needed, and a $25 gift card.  To register, or for more information, call the STEPS Training Coordinator (503) 232-7411 or email STEPS@ILR.org.

WIN (Work Incentives Network) – Thinking about work but concerned about benefits? The Work Incentives Network can help you create a plan for success! WIN can help you understand how work will effect:

  • Social Security Benefits
  • Medical Benefits
  • Food Stamps
  • Housing Assistance
  • And More..

To learn more about working and disability benefits, call us at 503-232-7411 or email info@ilr.org. You can also call our partners on this project, Disability Rights Oregon, at 503-243-2081.

Impact Northwest

Impact NW’s mission is to help people achieve and maintain self-sufficiency and to prevent and alleviate the effects of poverty. In the 2007-2008 fiscal year, Impact Northwest served over 70,000 individuals.

Their clients include low-income children, adolescents, adults with disabilities, seniors, and families. Working with schools, businesses, faith communities, community-based organizations, and governmental agencies, Impact Northwest creates a safety net and springboard for Portland residents seeking to improve their quality of life.

Safety Net Services:

  • homeless family shelter
  • rent and housing assistance
  • utility assistance
  • food, clothing, transportation
  • information and referral
  • client support services
  • access to health care & income assistance

Education Support Services:

  • youth tutoring & mentoring
  • social & educational activities
  • early childhood education
  • community school coordination
  • youth development
  • before & after school activities (SUN)

Employment Support Services:

  • youth employment training
  • Richmond Place homeless transition services
  • skill-building classes
  • beyond shelter homeless transition services
  • access to vocational training
  • job referral

Community Involvement Services:

  • volunteer placement
  • student internship and work study site
  • public education
  • employee & group community service site
  • system advocacy & community organizing

Seniors and Adults with Disabilities:

  • transportation
  • advocacy/case management
  • meal sites and activity centers
  • legal and tax assistance
  • low-income energy assistance
  • shopping trips and friendly visits
  • respite
  • health promotion activities
  • multicultural events
  • service access