Oregon ISP Redesign Project
A video of Nicholas Kaasa (he/him), Oregon ISP Redesign Project Manager, introducing the Oregon Individual Support Planning (ISP) Redesign Project.
Project Summary
Oregon’s Office of Developmental Disabilities Services (ODDS) has relaunched the Oregon ISP Redesign Project as of July 1, 2022. The Oregon ISP project team at The Arc Oregon is dedicated to improving the ISP planning process for people with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities.
By listening to diverse voices and perspectives, together, we can create a process and materials that are easy to understand and:
- Meets the person’s needs so they can be healthy and happy
- Focuses on the person’s strengths and goals
- Is flexible to how the person wants to plan
- Support the person to plan for and have what they want and need in their life
Are You a Self-Advocate? Join us!
Project Timeline
- Develop Communication and Engagement Plan
- Collaboratively redesign a new ISP process and materials
- Provide ongoing training, introduce Charting the LifeCourse™
- Pilot project to test new ISP process and materials
- Field test by The University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) at OHSU
People with disabilities, their families, and supporters will be collaborating throughout the pilot and field test.
- Roll-out of the new ISP redesigned process, materials
- Training and technical assistance
- Peer navigation and support
Updates
February 2024 ISP Redesign Update
This month, we held several listening sessions to gather feedback on the proposed Individual Support Plan (ISP) Redesign Process. These sessions were a time for us to hear from groups and people that have not been heard in the past. We want everyone’s voice to be represented. We are excited to share some of our learning from these sessions this month.
Communication and Engagement Plan
The success of the Oregon ISP Redesign Project depends on our ability to learn from a broad cross-section of our community. Building on and creating new relationships is vital to our strategy. The purpose of the Communication and Engagement plan is to guide our efforts to help connect with people, communicate important project updates and share our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, as our team moves forward.
Resources
Here are links to additional resources related to this project.
Team Introduction
The Arc Oregon Project Team
Strengths:
- As someone who receives services in addition to working in the field, Nicholas brings a unique perspective to this project.
- In-depth understanding of the history of Oregon’s DD system.
- Good collaborator with all areas of our much larger system.
Languages: English
Nicholas began working professionally in the field of Developmental Disabilities Services in 2014 as the Community Outreach Advocate for Full Access Eugene and has experience supporting families transitioning from school-based services to adult Developmental Disabilities Services. Nicholas joined the OTAC team in 2021 and has been providing training, mentorship, and consultation services for people with disabilities, families, and professionals since then. Nicholas is the ISP Redesign Project Manager and provides trainings on the current ISP planning process and supports the ISP project team. In his free time, Nicholas enjoys spending time with his family, listening to audiobooks/music and homebrewing craft beer.
Strengths:
- Advocate for youth that experience disabilities
- Brings a trauma-informed lens to the Oregon ISP Project
- Creates accessible content such as training presentations, written articles, visuals, and infographics
- Integrates person-centered thinking concepts into all aspects of her work
- Knowledgeable about the Oregon IDD System of Care, specifically relating to families and children
Emily began working as a Direct Support Professional in 2007. Since then, she continued her work and has experience as an Instructional Aide in Elementary Schools, Behavior Consultant, and Services Coordinator for children and teens in foster care. Emily joined the OTAC team in 2021 and has been providing training, mentorship, and consultation services for people with disabilities, families, and professionals since then. Emily is passionate about celebrating neurodiversity and is a strong advocate for trauma-informed care and resiliency. In 2021, Emily received professional mentorship from a Trauma Informed Oregon steward and continues to integrate the principles of trauma-informed care into her work. Emily is an OTAC Trainer and ISP Project Consultant with the Arc Oregon. In her free time, Emily enjoys reading, listening to podcasts, spending time with her dogs, and exercising her mind and body (especially in nature).
Strengths:
- Flexibility and creativity in meeting the needs of training participants, adapting to feedback, and incorporating new ideas
- Committed to equity, inclusion, and person-centered practices within and outside of work
- Organized, detail-oriented, consistent, and dedicated
Jenn is an experienced trainer of the Oregon ISP forms & process. Her background as a Services Coordinator and Direct Support Professional allowed her first-hand experience with person-centered planning & supports. Jenn has a Master of Social Work (MSW), with focus in the areas of Disability and Policy and is a Charting the LifeCourse™ Ambassador. To maintain a healthy work/life balance, Jenn enjoys getting outside- hiking, camping, or just hanging out in her hammock.
Strengths:
- Experience in the field providing case management.
- Experience with providing direct care.
- A passionate voice for change and inclusion.
Lindsay started working in this field in 2015 when she went to work at a Foster Home working with adults. After that Lindsay worked as a Personal Agent at a brokerage for three years providing case management. Lindsay has been with the OTAC team since 2022. Lindsay loves spending time with her husband and cats, reading, and playing video games.
Strengths:
- Smart and always willing to help others
- Strong advocacy skills and teaching about person centered practices
- Not afraid to speak her mind even if it may be a difficult topic
- Deeply cares about how people are feeling, both physically and emotionally
Jen DiBello is a self-advocate and has been working with the OTAC program for over 25 years. She enjoys teaching because it makes her feel like she is giving people knowledge of something she already knows a lot about. Jen is a credentialed People Planning Together trainer and LifeCourse™ Ambassador. She is a strong advocate at the local, state and national level. Jen is a Star Trek fan and enjoys spending time with her husband, shopping with her mom and playing with her dog, Bella.
Strengths:
- Project management experience
- Personal Futures Plan Facilitator
- LifeCourse Ambassador
- Problem-solving
- Organization
Jennie began working as a Direct Support Professional in 1999 and has previous experience working as an Educational Assistant and Behavior Professional. Jennie joined the OTAC team in 2009 and has been providing training, mentorship and consultation services for people with disabilities, families, and professionals since then. Jennie is the OTAC Program Director and supports the ISP project team. In her free time, Jennie enjoys spending time with her kids, paddleboarding and gardening.
Strengths:
- Communication
- Compassion
- Creativity
Tara is the newest member of the team at The Arc of Oregon. While relatively new to the world of IDD services, she brings experience in communication with diverse groups and creative problem-solving to the team. In her spare time she enjoys art, writing, and spending time with her cats Jumble and Custard.
Sub-contractors and other partners
Strengths:
- A trauma informed perspective.
- Experience collaborating with people throughout the state of Oregon on their ISP teams.
- A strong desire to help design an ISP process that is accessible, inclusive, and equitable for all Oregonians.
Kelli has worked in the field of support services for people with IDD since 2006. She has collaborated with and learned from others as a direct professional, a behavior professional, a community trainer, and a program manager. Currently Kelli helps organizations increase their trauma informed supports and build workforce resilience. Most of her non-work time is filled with helping her two young kids grow. She recharges by taking walks, drinking tea, and finding quiet.
Strengths:
- Josh is a good listener and has a very diplomatic approach to advocacy and consulting.
- He is optimistically realistic when it comes to change and very much a team player.
Josh is new to this field of employment. Because of his lived experiences, he is really passionate about this project. As a person who experiences Cerebral Palsy, he has dealt with the system his whole life. He uses brokerage services. He understands the importance of having a person-centered ISP that truly depicts a person’s wants and needs. For the past four years, he served on United Cerebral Palsy’s Consumer Advisory Board.
Strengths:
- Facilitation
- Organizational change
- Community building
Beth has been working in the field of human services for 16 years. In March of 2021, Beth moved from Oregon to Virginia with her husband and daughter after spending nearly 12 years working for the Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities. Since then, she has launched a consultancy focused on pursuing equity and honoring human dignity through strength-based facilitation, coaching, and strategic consultation to human service organizations. With a background in public relations, community development, and strength-based frameworks such as Person Centered Planning and Charting the LifeCourse, Beth helps organizations align their intent with their impact.
Strengths:
- Giving a lot of feedback and comments to the team
- Listening to what needs to be done
- If he doesn’t like something he will say something
- Very engaging and has a strong network of people
- Knowing Oregon’s Developmental Disability system well Languages: English
Eddie started his advocacy work early on because he likes to advocate for himself and help other self-advocates get what they need. Eddie advocates at the capital for “what we need to live happy lives for people living in Oregon with IDD,” and believes we have come along way, such as by taking out the “R word”. Eddie believes people first language is awesome to use. This project is important to Eddie because he wants to help make a difference by making the ISP a better tool for people, their providers and case managers. In his free time, he likes to play video games and hang out with friends. Eddie says “it makes me feel good to participate in the ISP project.”
Strengths:
- Engaged in person centered planning for 30+ years
- Certified Advance Care Planning facilitator – have supported people with disabilities around the country to develop advance directives and trained organizations on advance care planning processes for more than a decade
- Knowledge and experience in older adult services and federal and state aging
Leigh Ann has supported people who identify with disabilities for more than 30 years. She is a life-long learner of person centered practices, including being a certified Person Centered Thinking Mentor Trainer and a Charting the Life Course Ambassador. Leigh Ann is passionate about helping people develop advance directives. She developed the first advance care planning guide for people with disabilities in 2008; and is a Respecting Choices and Five Wishes Certified Facilitator. She also has a passion for older adults and the intersections of aging and disability systems. Leigh Ann lives in North Carolina with her husband and small crew of rescued Persian cats.
Strengths:
- Intentionally thoughtful, mindful, and curious
- Analytical
- Offering constructive criticism
- Mental Health Professional background, engaging work from a wellness and harm-reduction approach
- Visualizing the larger picture and scaling down to focused details.
Melissa is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified Integrative Mental Health Practitioner and Founder of Inspired Boldness. She worked in social services for fifteen years serving those who experience life with severe and persistent mental illness, homelessness and those with co morbid medical conditions. Through Inspired Boldness, Melissa engages the community, individuals and organizations around topics such as Food + Mood, Mental Health, and Boundary Setting. Melissa enjoys being a Bippie, spending time with her friends and family, pretending to garden, attending theatrical performances and reading as many books as she can get her hands on.
Contact Information
Oregon ISP Redesign Contact Information
If you have questions or input you’d like to share with the Oregon ISP Redesign team, please email us at redesign@oregonisp.org.
Nicholas Kaasa (he/him), Oregon ISP Redesign Project Manager, The Arc Oregon
Email: nkaasa@thearcoregon.org Call: 503-428-5433
Emily Bunker (she/her), Oregon ISP Redesign Project Coordinator, The Arc Oregon
Email: ecanela@thearcoregon.org Call: 503-428-5434
OHSU UCEDD Contact Information
Jennifer Kotzin (she/her), Oregon ISP Redesign Field Test Project Coordinator, UCEDD (University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities), OHSU (Oregon Health & Science University)
Email: kotzin@ohsu.edu Call: 503-494-2757
ODDS Contact Information
Aniko Adany (she/her), Person-Centered Practices and Service Equity Coordinator,
Oregon ODDS
Email: aniko.adany@odhs.oregon.gov Call/text: 503-428-2355