Independence Northwest is a support service brokerage serving nearly 600 Oregonians with developmental disabilities in the Portland tri-county area.
04/17/2026
Community Service Network PDX Workshops
FOR SOCIAL SERVICE CAREGIVER PROFESSIONALS
These are incredibly important and useful classes!
For more information visit
The Community Services Network (CSN) hosts a variety of workshops and webinars in partnership with other organizations. They provide access to important learning opportunities around topics like diversity, equity, inclusion, organization, leadership and more.
04/16/2026
Do you or someone you know get intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) services? Do you work in Oregon’s I/DD system? If so, the Oregon Department of Human Services Office of Developmental Disabilities Services (ODDS) wants to hear from you. Details below!
Do you or someone you know get intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) services? Do you work in Oregon’s I/DD system? If so, the Oregon Department of Human Services Office of Developmental Disabilities Services (ODDS) wants to hear from you. We’re hosting a series of meetings in April and May. Learn more in this story and come join us: https://apps.oregon.gov/oregon-newsroom/OR/ODHS/Posts/Post/odds-hosts-community-meetings-to-guide-budget-decisions
04/16/2026
ODDS offers a Guide to Supporting Individual Preferences in Medical Decision-Making. You can find it athttps://www.oregon.gov/odhs/providers-partners/idd/workerguides/wg-supporting-medical-decisions.pdf
Allowing individuals to make their choices known ahead of time helps to inform the people caring for them of their wishes and can help reduce anxiety and concern over medical treatment. Today on National Healthcare Decisions Day talk with your loved ones about what they want. For assistance use this link from our very own OHSU Office on Disability & Health.
The “Taking Charge of My Health Care” project is a toolkit designed to provide health and healthcare advocacy education and resources for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and those who support them.
04/15/2026
Very Exciting New Resource!
HandicapMD has launched a new national resource, State-by-State Guide to Handicap Permit Placard Laws and Application Requirements, designed to help patients, caregivers, and families understand how handicap permit placard laws, disabled parking permit laws, and state-by-state handicap placard rules differ across the United States. The new guide brings together information on qualification standards, medical certification requirements, permit types, interstate recognition, renewals, misuse penalties, and state-specific application pathways in one comprehensive destination.
Get DMV handicap parking permit placards online to evaluations with HandicapMD - certify your DMV applications - the fasted way to get legit, HIPAA compliant disability permit evaluations
04/14/2026
SAVE THE DATE!
04/13/2026
ODDS made several important rule changes in 2025 and 2026 that will affect all Medicaid agency providers. They implement recent legislation, take steps to enhance the health and safety of people receiving services, and introduce a new type of agency – Employer Model Agency. These updates help improve certified agencies, especially Standard Model Agencies and 24-hour residential programs. These changes are meant to make services better, easier to understand, and safer for people who use them. The updates were based on real feedback, application data, complaints, and licensing trends.
Because so much has changed, we want to make sure everyone has the information they need. Join us to learn what the new rules are, why they matter, and how they support better services. ODDS will also share new resources to help providers and case managers support individuals and families.
Case management entities and providers, you’re invited to join us and the community on the following dates and times:
• Thursday, April 9, 1:00pm – 2:30pm
– ODDS Oregon Administrative Rule Structure and
Introduction to Agency Certification and Endorsement Rules (Teams Link)
• Thursday, April 16, 1:00pm – 2:30pm
– Recent 24-Hour Residential Programs Rule Changes (Teams Link)
• Wednesday, April 22, 1:00pm – 2:30pm
– Recent Community Living Supports Rule Changes and Introduction to the Employer Model Agency (Teams Link)
• Friday, May 1, 1:00pm – 2:30pm
– Understanding the Differences Between the Standard and Employer Model Agency (Teams Link)
From our friends at Griffin's Place!
Every Voice Matters, Every Way We Communicate
AAC Blazers
Augmentative and Alternative Communication in the Rip City
Join us on April 12, 2026 at the Moda Center. Together, we will champion inclusion, expression and community through AAC. AAC (Augmented and Alternative Communication) is a multimodal form of communication, using a range of tools to support expression among communication disabilities.
Your voice is powerful, whether it is spoken, signed, typed or selected. Having tools to share your thoughts, choices and passions is the foundation of literacy and self empowerment.
When: April 12, 2026 11:30 – 1:30
Where: Moda Center, Main Court
Who: Students, Families, AAC Community and Friends
What: Adaptive Basketball, Performances, Presentations, Dance Party!
Why: To celebrate and raise awareness about communication disabilities
Augmentative and Alternative Communication in the Rip City
04/08/2026
Reminder that tomorrow is the in person budget meeting with leadership from ODDS for Providers & Partners.
At the meetings, you will:
Meet me and other new members of the ODDS leadership team.
Learn about the data we collected in our recent budget survey. Thank you, all who participated in the survey.
Share your ideas about services and supports.
Have a discussion that will help us create guidelines based on our core values. These will be the guiding principles for our 2027‒2029 budget requests.
Date: April 9
Time: 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Location: Marion County Health and Human Services
3160 Center St. NE Rockaway Conference Rooms A, B and C
Salem, OR 97301
Register to attend:
04/07/2026
In-Home Hours Authorizations Update
Effective date: April 1, 2026
Web address:https://www.oregon.gov/odhs/providers-partners/idd/workerguides/wg-ihh-moe-unwind.pdf
On April 1, 2026, all people receiving in-home services should:
• have their service level based on their Oregon Needs Assessment service group;
• have a pending exception waiting for a decision from ODDS;
• have a pending hearing; or
• have an approved exception to exceed the service group
If you have questions please reach out to your Personal Agent or Case Manager.
04/06/2026
Love, Dating & Me – April 2026
Healthy Relationships for Adults who want support in dating and
understanding relationships. Learn About:
■ Dating
■ Consent & Boundaries
■ Safe Ways to Meet People
■ Communication Skills
○ Program Info: 3-Week Course – Monday — April 6th, 13th & 20th
○ When: 12pm - 2pm $50.00
○ Evening Classes: Tuesdays — April 7th, 14th, & 21st 6PM – 8PM
○ Community Services Inc.: 14215 NW Science Park Dr, Portland
○ Where: Independence Northwest – 919 NE 19th Ave #275, Portland, OR
97232. Information call or email: 360-726-3033 programs@thearcpdx.org
Subject: Meet ODDS leadership to discuss budget
Hello there,
I have news for the entire intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) community. The Office of Developmental Disabilities Services (ODDS) is hosting a series of public meetings in April and May. I invite you to come and join us.
At the meetings, you will:
Meet me and other new members of the ODDS leadership team.
Learn about the data we collected in our recent budget survey. Thank you, all who participated in the survey.
Share your ideas about services and supports.
Have a discussion that will help us create guidelines based on our core values. These will be the guiding principles for our 2027‒2029 budget requests.
Your voice matters to us. I hope you’ll come to one of the meetings. Please read this full message to learn how to participate.
Will the meetings be in person or online?
Both: We’ll host meetings in person and online. Unfortunately, we can’t make it to every part of the state. If you can’t come in person, we’ve got you covered. We’re hosting three online meetings. One of these Zoom meetings will be in Spanish.
What is the meeting schedule? How do I sign up?
Online meetings and registration
These meetings are for people who can’t travel to an in-person meeting. One of these meetings is for Spanish speakers.
When you register online, you must enter your name and email address. After you register, Zoom will send you an email with a link to join the meeting.
Here’s the online meeting information:
April 13 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Please note: This meeting is for Spanish speakers. It will be held in Spanish. Please use this link to register for the April 13 Spanish-language meeting.
April 15 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. This meeting is for all members of the community. Please use this link to register for the April 15 meeting.
May 11 from 4 to 6 p.m. This meeting is for all members of the community. Please use this link to register for the May 11 meeting. Fill out the section of the form that is in your preferred language.
Schedule for in-person meetings
The in-person meetings will be in public spaces. They will be accessible and safe spaces. We’ll also provide some food and refreshments.
In each city we visit, we’ll have separate meetings for:
Self-advocates, family members and caregivers: This includes direct support professionals (DSP) and personal support workers (PSW). Please note: We’re working with the Oregon Self-Advocacy Coalition to set up meetings that are just for self-advocates.
Our partners: Staff from community developmental disabilities programs (CDDP), brokerages, provider agencies, foster homes, Host Homes and community organizations.
Our schedule is still coming together for the in-person meetings. Here are the places we will visit:
Mid-Willamette Valley, Salem: April 8‒9 (We’ve scheduled these meetings. Please read the full details below to learn more about these meetings and to sign up.)
Portland Metro Area: Week of April 20
Central Oregon, Bend: Week of April 29
Eastern Oregon, Pendleton: Week of April 29
Southern Willamette Valley, Eugene: Week of May 4
Southern Oregon, Medford: Week of May 4
We will send email updates throughout April with more details for each of these locations.
Salem and Mid-Willamette Valley meetings registration
Meeting for self-advocates, families and caregivers
Date: April 8
Time: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Location:
Oregon Department of Human Services, Tandem Office
1430 Tandem Ave. NE
Clyde Saiki Room 159
Salem, OR 97301
Who can attend? This meeting is for self-advocates, individuals with I/DD, and their families, guardians and caregivers.
Register to attend: Please fill out this form to register. You can fill it out the language that works best for you: English | Spanish | Arabic | Russian | Simplified Chinese | Somali | Vietnamese
Meeting for our partners and providers
Date: April 9
Time: 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Location:
Marion County Health and Human Services
3160 Center St. NE
Rockaway Conference Rooms A, B and C
Salem, OR 97301
Who can attend? This meeting is for our partners and providers. This includes staff from CDDPs, brokerages, provider agencies, foster care, Host Homes and community organizations.
Register to attend: Please fill out this form to register. You can fill it out the language that works best for you: English | Spanish | Arabic | Russian | Simplified Chinese | Somali | Vietnamese
What supports will you offer at these meetings? How do I ask for support in a language other than English?
We want everyone to feel welcome and safe. We will provide free support on request. Please contact us if you need support to fully participate. Some examples you can request include:
American Sign Language
Spanish interpretation
Live captioning for the Zoom events
Any other languages or supports that you need
To request support, please email us at odds.questions@odhs.oregon.gov or call us at 503-945-5811. We accept all relay calls. Please do this at least three business days before the meeting you will attend. Thank you.
What is the format for the meetings?
We will use the “World Cafe Method” for the meetings. This is a simple and effective way to hold large group discussions. It gives everyone who wants to share a chance to participate. By the end of the meeting, we’ll share a clear summary of what we learned from you.
Where can I find more information or ask questions about the meetings?
Please watch your email inbox for more messages. We’ll send more details about other locations as our schedule is finalized.
The schedule and details are on our Community Engagement web page. We’ll update that information as we finalize locations.
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when independence northwest posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Since 2007, Independence Northwest has been serving the Oregon I/DD (Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities) community as a support services brokerage. We provide case management, resource navigation, and connections to home and community-based supports to over 500 adults in the Portland tri-county area (Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington counties.) We’re a nonprofit governed by a board of directors comprised almost entirely of people with disabilities and their family members.
If you’re 18 or older, have been diagnosed with an intellectual and/or developmental disability, and you live independently or with your family in the community, you’re most likely eligible for our services. Once enrolled in services, you can choose whichever brokerage(s) serve(s) your county. Here in the Portland metro area, you have up to six different choices including Independence Northwest. Once you choose your brokerage, you then have the option to choose your own Personal Agent. If you’d like to learn more about INW’s Personal Agents, click here.
Your Personal Agent works with somewhere around 45 brokerage customers. If at any time, you’re interested in working with someone else, just let us know and we’ll help you find the right fit. When you first begin services, an assessor is responsible for reviewing your support needs and determining what state and federally-funded resources may be available for you. Once you know your benefit level, your PA will then help you find professionals to help you meet your goals. You can choose from Domestic Employees or Provider Organizations. Domestic Employees are Personal Support Workers whose rates are determined by agreement between the SEIU (union) and the state; Provider Organization rates are determined by the state. Each year, you will develop an Individual Support Plan (ISP.) Our job is to help you meet your goals – your plan says what YOU want it to say.
Brokerage services in Oregon are amongst the most progressive in the United States.
If you have questions about who we are and what we do, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We are honored to serve nearly 500 customers and their families throughout the tri-county region.
