How do individuals become customers of Inclusion?
The process for entering Support Services begins with an application through the County Developmental Disabilities Case Manager. If they find the person eligible for Brokerage services, they refer the application to us. At that point, we will arrange to meet, discuss support needs and work together to create a plan (which is called an Individualized Support Plan, or ISP) that meets those needs.
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What is a Brokerage?
A Brokerage is an agency that helps people with developmental disabilities look for and purchase supports (like respite care and skills training) and also find the people who provide these supports (qualified providers and agencies). The Brokerage is a direct outcome of the Staley Settlement.
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What is the Staley Settlement?
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 her or his life and the services s/he receives, including how plan money is spent. Basically, this means that the individual directs what happens in their plan.
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What is Inclusion Inc.?
Inclusion Inc. is a Support Services Brokerage that works mostly with people living in Multnomah County. We do have some customers who live in Clackamas and Washington Counties as well. We are a 501(c)3, not for profit agency. Click here for more information.
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What is a Personal Agent (PA)?
A Personal Agent, or PA, is the main contact for customers at the Brokerage. Their job is to work with individuals to identify what supports they need and will assist in finding a way to meet these needs. The customers decide the best way to spend their money and who will be supporting them to reach these goals. The customer, their support circle (family, friends, etc.), and the PA will work together to create a plan to meet their needs. The PA will help their customers find providers and agencies to interview, get community resources, give advice about effective ways to spend plan dollars, and make sure that they are happy with the people they hire, and any other supports they purchase. Click here for more information.
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How much money can a customer use for services?
There are four possible levels of funding: General Fund, Base, Mid Range, and Base Plus. Everyone is eligible for at least the General Fund level, and most qualify for Base benefit level. If an individual has higher medical or behavioral support needs, they may qualify for the Mid Range or Base Plus benefit. They will need to complete an assessment with our Executive Director, Howard Miller, to see if they qualify for these levels of funding. The Personal Agents (PA’s) help determine which level of funding their customers are eligible for.
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What is the history of Inclusion Inc?
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 eleven 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.
For more information about Self-Directed Support Services in Oregon, click here.
Inclusion Inc. opened its doors in November 2001. Inclusion Inc. supports adults with developmental disabilities living in the community in Multnomah and Clackamas counties.
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What are the mission/values of Inclusion Inc?
Our Mission:
Offering people resources and education to direct their lives.
Our Core Values:
Self Determination
We honor our customers’ individual rights to assume risk and to achieve their personal goals, through education, communication and choice.
Innovation
We encourage progressive and creative thinking to develop resources and supports.
Integrity and Responsibility
We act professionally, knowledgeably, ethically, consistently, and proactively to achieve the highest quality in all that we do.
Teamwork
We work as valued, responsible and accountable team members.
Supporting Continuous Learning
We make the most of opportunities to increase knowledge and understanding.
Sustainability through Financial Responsibility
We are fiscally prudent, accountable and resourceful as we strive towards our vision, now and in the future.
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What kind of supports can I purchase through Inclusion Inc?
Chore Services
Community Inclusion Supports
Community Living Supports
Environmental Accessibility Adaptations
Family Training
Homemaker Service
Occupational Therapy
Personal Emergency Response Systems
Physical Therapy
Respite Care
Special Diet
Specialized Medical Equipment and Supplies
Specialized Supports
Supported Employment
Transportation
“Chore Services” means services needed to maintain a clean, sanitary and safe environment in an individual’s home.
This service includes heavy house-hold chores such as washing floors, windows and walls, tacking down loose rugs and tiles, moving heavy items of furniture for safe access and egress. These services are provided when no one in the household is capable of either performing, or paying for, the services and when no other relative, caregiver, landlord, community/ volunteer agency, or third-party payer is capable of or responsible for their provision.
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“Community Inclusion Supports” means services that may include instruction in skills an individual wishes to acquire, retain or improve that enhance independence, productivity, integration, and/or maintain the individual’s physical and mental skills.
These supports are provided a) For an individual to participate in activities to facilitate independence and promote community inclusion and contribution; and
b) At any time in community settings of the individual’s choice.
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“Community Living Supports” means services provided for the purpose of facilitating independence and promoting community integration by supporting the individual to gain or maintain skills to live as independently as possible in the type of community-based housing the individual chooses, consistent with the outcome for community living defined in the individual’s ISP.
Supports are available to individuals who live alone, with roommates or with family. The services include support designed to develop or maintain skills required for self-care, directing supports, and caring for the immediate environment such as:
Personal skills, including eating, bathing, dressing, personal hygiene, and mobility.
Socialization, including development or maintenance of self-awareness and self-control, social responsiveness, social amenities, and interpersonal skills;
Community participation, recreation or leisure, including the development or maintenance of skills to use generic community services, facilities, or businesses;
Communication, including development or maintenance of expressive and receptive skills in verbal and non-verbal language and the functional application of acquired reading and writing skills; and
Personal environmental skills including planning and preparing meals,
budgeting, laundry, and housecleaning.
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“Environmental Accessibility Adaptations” means physical adaptations which are necessary to ensure the health, welfare, and safety of the individual in the home, or which enable the individual to function with greater independence in the home.
Examples of these services include, but are not limited to: environmental modification consultation to determine the appropriate type of adaptation, installation of shatter-proof windows; hardening of walls or doors; specialized, hardened, waterproof or padded flooring; an alarm system for doors or windows; protective covering for smoke detectors, light fixtures, and appliances; sound and visual monitoring systems; fencing; installation of ramps and grab-bars, installation of electric door openers; adaptation of kitchencabinet/ sinks; widening of doorways; handrails; modification of bathroom facilities; individual room air conditioners for individuals whose temperature sensitivity issues create behaviors or medical conditions that put themselves or others at risk; installation of non-skid surfaces; over-head track systems to assist with lifting or transferring; specialized electric and plumbing systems which are necessary to accommodate the medical equipment and supplies which are necessary for the welfare of the individual; modifications to a vehicle to meet the unique needs of the individual (lift, interior alterations such as seats, head and leg rests and belts, special safety harnesses, or other unique modifications to keep the individual safe in the vehicle).
This service does not include:Adaptations or improvements to the home which are of general utility and are not of direct medical or remedial benefit to the individual, such as carpeting, roof repair, central air conditioning, and Adaptations that add to the total square footage of the home.
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“Family Training” means training and counseling services for the family of an individual to increase capabilities to care for, support and maintain the individual in thehome.
This service includes: instruction about treatment regimens and use of equipment specified in the Individual Support Plan; information, education and training about the individual’s disability, medical, and behavioral conditions; and counseling for the family
to relieve the stress associated with caring for an individual with disabilities.
This service is provided by licensed psychologists, professionals licensed to practice medicine, social workers, counselors, or in organized conferences and workshops that are limited to topics related to the individual’s disability, identified support needs, or specialized medical or habilitative support needs. The training is not provided to paid caregivers.
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The services are provided when the person regularly responsible for these activities as well as caring for an individual in the home is temporarily absent, temporarily unable to manage the home as well as care for self or the individual in the home, or needs to devote additional time to caring for the individual.
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“Occupational Therapy” means the services of a professional licensed under ORS 675.240 that are defined under the approved State Medicaid Plan, except that the amount, duration and scope specified in the State Medicaid Plan do not apply.
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“Personal Emergency Response Systems” means electronic devices required by certain individuals to secure help in an emergency for safety in the community.
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“Physical Therapy” means services provided by a professional licensed under ORS 688.020 that are defined under the approved State Medicaid Plan, except that the amount, duration and scope specified in the State Medicaid Plan do not apply.
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“Respite Care” means short-term care and supervision provided because of the absence,
or need for relief of, persons normally providing care to individuals unable to care for themselves.
Respite may be provided in the individual’s or respite provider’s home, a foster home, a group home, a licensed day care center, or a community care facility that is not a private residence. Respite includes two types of care, neither of which can be characterized as 8-hours-a-day, 5-days-a-week services or are provided to allow caregivers to attend school or work:
Temporary Respite Care, which is provided on less than a 24-hour basis, and 24-Hour Overnight Care, which is provided in segments of 24-hour units that may be sequential.
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“Special Diet” means specially prepared food and/or particular types of food needed to sustain the individual in the family home. Special diets can include: high caloric supplements; gluten-free supplements; diabetic, ketogenic or other metabolic supplements. Special diets are ordered by a physician and periodically monitored by a dietician.
Special diets are supplements and are not intended to meet an individual’s complete daily nutritional requirements. Special diets do not provide or replace the nutritional equivalent of meals and snacks normally required regardless of disability.
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“Specialized Medical Equipment and Supplies” means devices, aids, controls, supplies, or appliances which enable individuals to increase their abilities to perform activities of daily living or to perceive, control, or communicate with the environment in which they live.
This service includes items necessary for life support, ancillary supplies and equipment necessary to the proper functioning of such items, and durable and nondurable medical equipment not available under the Medicaid State Plan. It does not include items not of direct medical or remedial benefit to the individual. All items meet applicable standards of manufacture, design, and instillation.
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“Specialized Supports” means treatment, training, consultation, or other unique services necessary to achieve outcomes in the plan of care that are not available through State Medicaid Plan services or other Support Services listed in 309-041-1870(6)(a-o).
Typical supports include the services of a behavior consultant, a licensed nurse, or a social/sexual consultant to:
Assess the needs of the individual and family, including environmental factors;
Develop a plan of support;
Train caregivers to implement the support plan;
Monitor implementation of the plan; and
Revision of the plan as needed.
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“Supported Employment Services” means provision of job training and supervision available to assist an individual who needs intensive ongoing support to choose, get and keep a job in a community business setting. Supported employment is a service planned in partnership with public vocational assistance agencies and school districts through Social Security Work Incentives when available.
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“Transportation” means services that allow individuals to gain access to community services, activities and resources that are not medical in nature.
What is a fiscal intermediary?
A fiscal intermediary is a person or organization that acts on behalf of another person to perform fiscal tasks including cutting checks and withholding and paying taxes. Inclusion Fiscal Intermediary Service (IFIS) performs these duties on behalf of its customers in order to allow them maximum flexibility in the types of support providers they work with. Making fiscal intermediary services available to customers is part of Inclusion’s obligations under its contract with the state of Oregon.
