FAQ

Support Services for Adults with developmental disabilities are individually designed supports that assist a person with developmental disabilities to live in their own home or with family or friends and fully participate in community life, including work. These services are different from Comprehensive Services, such as residential services, group homes, and foster homes, which may provide 24-hour support.

To be eligible for Support Services, you must be an adult Oregonian (age 18 or older) with a confirmed diagnosis of a developmental disability. You must not currently be receiving Comprehensive Services. In addition, you must apply and be eligible with your county Community Developmental Disability (DD) Program. For a list of local DD program offices go Here or call your local County DD Program Office, or call 1- 800-282-8096 to find your local program office phone number.

A Support Brokerage (or Brokerage) is an organization that helps an adult with developmental disabilities develop an individualized plan for community living and access supports to implement the plan.

Yes. You can choose the Brokerage as long as there is more than one brokerage in your area and space is available. You will always have the right to change Brokerages. If you move or choose to leave a Brokerage, you need to tell your Brokerage and they will help you transfer to the Brokerage of your choice if it is available. Not all counties have more than one Brokerage, and some Brokerages may not have room to take additional customers at the time you wish to change.

Southern Oregon Regional Brokerage is a Support Services Brokerage that works with people living in Southern Oregon. We are a 501(c)3, not for profit agency.

In the year 2000, a group of five Oregonians with developmental disabilities and their families filed a lawsuit against the state of Oregon (commonly known as Staley vs. Kitzhaber). These five individuals claimed they were unfairly being denied access to services they were entitled to by law. The state settled the dispute out of court in September 2000. This became a class action agreement known as the “Staley Agreement” which in turn affected the service delivery to thousands of Oregonians with developmental disabilities.

The state chose to implement these new services through the creation of private organizations called “brokerages.” There are currently twelve brokerages serving people with developmental disabilities across the state. Every brokerage provides services based upon the principles of self-determination.

They are:

• FREEDOM to choose a meaningful life in the community.
• AUTHORITY over a targeted amount of funding.
• SUPPORT to organize resources in ways that are life enhancing for the individual with a disability.
• RESPONSIBILITY for the wise use of public dollars and recognition that individuals with disabilities can make to their communities.
• CONFIRMATION of the important leadership role that individuals with disabilities and their families must play in a newly re-designed system and support for the self-advocacy movement.

Connections Case Mgmt opened its doors in November 2001 and supports adults with developmental disabilities living in the community in Coos, Curry, Douglas and Klamath counties.

In 2000, six people with developmental disabilities and their families sued the State of Oregon due to the long waiting lists for services, and general concern for the quality of services people were receiving. The parties settled out of court, with several agreements, which included changing the way Case Management happens for individuals. One goal for the Staley Settlement is to eliminate the waiting list forever. Another goal is to provide services in a person-centered way, meaning that the individual directs his or her life and the services he/she receives, including how plan money is spent.  Basically, this means that the individual directs what happens in their plan.

Clients come to Connections Case Mgmt through their county developmental disabilities services case manager. Connections clients must be Oregon residents with a developmental disability, at least 18 years of age, and living at home or on their own (not receiving comprehensive services, foster care or other residential care). The county DDS determines which clients are enrolled each month at Connections from the county waitlist. The individual should contact their County Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities office or case manager, to determine if they may be eligible for Brokerage services. Once an individual is eligible for support services through the brokerage they are entitled to receive assistance.

An Individual Support Plan (ISP) is a plan developed specifically for you. It will help you determine what support services you will need to function as independently as possible at home and in the community. Your plan is developed through a process called Person Centered Planning. From the time you enter the brokerage, your PA has 90 days to get your plan in place. Writing an ISP takes a lot of work, so you should not expect that it will be done at the first meeting.

A personal agent (PA) works for their client to assist them in planning and developing disability-related supports so that they truly meet the client’s needs. The PA assists the client in identifying dreams and goals, determining the support needs necessary to pursue and achieve those dreams and goals, and finding the resources needed to provide those supports. The PA identifies resources available and then the client prioritizes and makes the choices.

At your first meeting, your PA will explain the process to you, learn about your dreams and goals, and tell you about the kind of supports that you can purchase with your plan dollars.

When a client enrolls at Connections Case Mgmt, a transfer meeting takes place with the client and whomever they would like to attend with them (such as family), the county case manager (also known as the support specialist), and the personal agent. This transfer meeting does not mean the end of the involvement of the county case manager in the life of the client; it is simply a transfer of the primary support role to the personal agent.

A person-centered planning process is a series of conversations and/or a specific type of planning meeting. These conversations help the personal agent get to know the client and all the different aspects of their life: education and employment, home life, social and leisure, transportation, medical and health, communication, finances and long-term vision. This process assists the client in setting goals, determining needs, planning for supports, and reviewing and redesigning support strategies. These conversations assist in identifying the client’s preferences and choices.

Yes, if you want them to. Your PA will act as your advocate with other agencies you are working with. They will also help you understand what services can be paid for by your plan dollars and what services will be covered by other agencies.

Yes. Agreeing to enroll in Support Services for Adults will not hurt your chances of accessing Comprehensive Services or any other service you may need in the future.