Oregon Employment First

Oregon Employment First When people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) work in their communities, everyone succeeds.

Oregon Employment First, an Oregon Department of Human Services' initiative, promotes community jobs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. With the right job and supports, everyone can work. I Work We Succeed is part of the outreach efforts by Oregon’s Employment First initiative to promote the benefits of paid, integrated work in community jobs for people with I/DD.

12/29/2025

We’re happy to announce that we have two strong finalists in our search for the next permanent director of the Office of Developmental Disabilities Services (ODDS). We invite you to meet them at a public town at 2 p.m. Jan. 9. The event is free and on Zoom. To sign up, read the full announcement:https://www.oregon.gov/odhs/news/directors-messages/odhs-2025-12-29-odds-director-finalists-en.pdf

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Nos complace anunciar que contamos con dos finalistas fuertemente calificados en nuestra búsqueda del próximo director permanente del Programa para Discapacidades Intelectuales y del Desarrollo (Office of Developmental Disabilities Services, ODDS). Le invitamos a que los conozca en una asamblea pública que tendrá lugar el 9 de enero a las 2 p. m. El evento será gratuito y se realizará por Zoom. Para inscribirse, lea el anuncio completo:https://www.oregon.gov/odhs/news/directors-messages/odhs-2025-12-29-odds-director-finalists-es.pdf

Oregon’s new Employment First law, Senate Bill 810, took effect last month. It requires Oregon to keep an ongoing Employ...
11/24/2025

Oregon’s new Employment First law, Senate Bill 810, took effect last month. It requires Oregon to keep an ongoing Employment First Strategic Plan to guide our work. For the next step, we need your input. We invite you to complete the Employment First strategic plan survey (English and Spanish) to share your thoughts on priorities and strategies for the next plan: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=6GOOZTmNnEmPSBOtyUUvTH3n3HPjnlhAtRpteoUurWFUOFdRV0tOOFBJN0VXVFJZWE45VlNTUVZUMy4u&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery&route=shorturl

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La nueva ley de Employment First de Oregon, el Proyecto de Ley del Senado 810, entró en vigencia el mes pasado. Requiere que Oregon mantenga un Plan Estratégico de Employment First continuo para guiar nuestro trabajo. Para el próximo paso, necesitamos sus opiniones. Los invitamos a completar la encuesta del Plan Estratégico de Employment First (en inglés y español) para compartir sus opiniones sobre las prioridades y las estrategias para el próximo plan: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=6GOOZTmNnEmPSBOtyUUvTH3n3HPjnlhAtRpteoUurWFUOFdRV0tOOFBJN0VXVFJZWE45VlNTUVZUMy4u&route=shorturl

Congratulations to Ashley Heberholz on winning the 2025 Ross Ryan Self-Advocacy Award! Ashley, a Lake Oswego resident, r...
11/20/2025

Congratulations to Ashley Heberholz on winning the 2025 Ross Ryan Self-Advocacy Award! Ashley, a Lake Oswego resident, received the award at the Employment First Summit on Oct. 2 in Portland.

Ashley’s employment path hasn’t been easy. She’s had to fight for the accommodations she needs. But thanks to her determination and the people supporting her, she’s faced every challenge with courage and strength.

“I’m here to pave the way for others. People with disabilities deserve to be treated with respect and to have jobs in the community.” – Ashley Herberholz

Read more about Ashley, her award, and her employment successes here: https://apps.oregon.gov/oregon-newsroom/OR/ODHS/Posts/Post/blog-blazing-a-trail-ashley-herberholz-carries-forward-ross-ryan-legacy-of-advocacy

11/13/2025

The federal government shutdown has ended. SNAP is working normally again in Oregon!

Here’s what you need to know:

- If you were approved for SNAP on or after Nov. 7, your benefits will be on your EBT card by tomorrow morning - Friday, Nov. 14, 2025.

- December SNAP benefits will go out on the regular schedule, during the first nine days of the month.

- Benefits loaded on Nov. 7 are still on your EBT card and can be used as normal.

You can check your EBT balance at https://ebtEDGE.com, through the ebtEDGE mobile app, or by calling 888-997-4447. ODHS does not endorse any other EBT management websites or apps.

Please note - the shutdown did not change the new federal SNAP rules that Congress passed in July 2025. These rules are still taking effect, and some people may have seen changes to their benefits because of them. You can learn more at: https://www.oregon.gov/odhs/news/Pages/federal-updates.aspx

If you think your benefit amount is wrong, call the ONE Customer Service Center at 800-699-9075.

There has also been an increase in electronic theft of EBT benefits nationwide. Learn how to protect your card: https://bit.ly/protectEBTbenefits

We know the last few weeks have been stressful. We appreciate all of you who stepped up for your family, friends and neighbors in need or sent words of encouragement as we navigated this situation!

11/10/2025

🚨 Attention Oregon EBT cardholders! We're seeing reports that some people’s November SNAP benefits are being stolen from their EBT cards. Electronic theft of benefits is a serious problem and is on the rise. Criminals are using methods like skimming devices, social media scams, phishing texts and more to steal card numbers and PINs. Once they have your information, they can steal your food and cash benefits. Learn how to take action and keep your benefits safe: https://bit.ly/protectEBTbenefits

If your benefits were stolen, please call 855-328-6715 immediately to cancel your Oregon EBT card and request a new one. Federal funding to replace SNAP benefits stolen by electronic theft ended last year, so we are unable to replace your benefits. If you need food help, visit https://needfood.oregon.gov to find free food markets, food banks, meal programs and more.

11/07/2025

November SNAP benefits are here in Oregon! The federal government remains shut down, but ODHS was able to issue full November SNAP benefits with federal approval. We know how important these benefits are, so we worked quickly to begin issuing benefits last night. Everyone should have full November SNAP benefits on their EBT cards this morning, Nov. 7, 2025 - even if you normally receive SNAP later in the month.

Before shopping, check your EBT card balance to make sure their benefits have been issued. There are several ways to check your balance:

- Call ebtEDGE customer service toll-free at 888-997-4447
- Visit https://ebtEDGE.com
- Use the ebtEDGE mobile app

ODHS does not recommend any other EBT management websites or apps.

While the release of SNAP benefits is not a scam – we want everyone to remain aware of potential scammers who could be trying to take advantage of the confusion in this situation. Do not click any suspicious links in emails, texts or social media posts, and only trust ODHS for information about Oregon benefits. You can find tips to protect yourself from electronic theft here: https://www.oregon.gov/odhs/benefits/Pages/protect.aspx

11/04/2025

ODDS is doing two satisfaction surveys in 2026. The surveys help us know if we’re meeting the needs of people we serve. These are annual surveys. Here’s what to expect:https://www.oregon.gov/odhs/news/directors-messages/odds-2025-11-04-director-nci-adult-survey-en.pdf

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La ODDS realizará dos encuestas de satisfacción en 2026. Las encuestas nos ayudan a saber si cubrimos las necesidades de las personas a quienes prestamos servicios. Son encuestas anuales. Esto es lo que tiene que saber:https://www.oregon.gov/odhs/news/directors-messages/odds-2025-11-04-director-nci-adult-survey-es.pdf

11/03/2025

Federal judges ruled that the Trump Administration must at least partially fund SNAP during the federal government shutdown.

What you need to know:

- November SNAP benefits have not been issued yet. The federal government has not released the funds to the states yet.

- You may not get your full November benefits right away. The Trump Administration is only partially funding November SNAP benefits for now. We hope that we will still be able to issue full November SNAP benefits when the federal government shutdown ends, but we will need direct federal approval.

- SNAP benefits have never been paused before. Some states and vendors, including Oregon and our EBT vendor, don’t currently have systems that can send partial benefits. We are already working on updates so we can send the partial benefits when we get them.

- Watch out for scams! We heard that, since the court rulings on Friday, some people have been seeing text, email, and social media posts telling them to click a link to get their SNAP benefits. Do NOT do this. It is a scam. Only trust information about your benefits from official ODHS sources. Learn more about protecting yourself from benefits theft: https://www.oregon.gov/odhs/benefits/Pages/protect.aspx

We know this situation is stressful. We are working to get answers and will share information as quickly as we can.

If you need food now, visit https://needfood.oregon.gov to find free food markets, food banks, meal programs and more.

10/31/2025

Oregon food programs and food resources

10/31/2025

We will not host our monthly Community Conversation on November 5 at noon. The meeting is cancelled. Why? Our staff will be working at our case management conference. The conference is virtual and free. Sign up online at https://center.uoregon.edu/CaseManagement/2025/

Our next Community Conversation with ODDS is Dec. 3 at noon. Our case management liaisons will present. They will talk about their work, answer your questions and hear your feedback. Find more information on our website: https://www.oregon.gov/odhs/engagement/Pages/odds-engagement.aspx

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No tendremos nuestra conversación comunitaria mensual el 5 de noviembre a mediodía. La reunión está cancelada. ¿Por qué? Nuestro personal estará trabajando en nuestra conferencia de manejo de casos. La conferencia es virtual y gratuita. Inscríbase en línea en https://center.uoregon.edu/CaseManagement/2025/ (en inglés)

Nuestra siguiente conversación comunitaria con ODDS es el 3 de diciembre a mediodía. Tendremos una presentación por nuestros enlaces de manejo de casos. Hablarán sobre su trabajo, responderán a sus preguntas y escucharán sus comentarios. Encontrará más información en nuestro sitio web: https://www.oregon.gov/odhs/engagement/Pages/odds-engagement.aspx #

10/31/2025

Court rulings on whether or not the Trump Administration has to issue SNAP benefits in November during the federal government shutdown are coming in. We are working to determine what they mean for people receiving SNAP in Oregon. We will post an update when we have more information.

No matter what, it will still take time for people to see November SNAP benefits on their EBT cards. We need to update our systems and work with our EBT vendor to issue benefits once we get the go-ahead. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through this!

10/30/2025

Governor Tina Kotek declared a 60-day food emergency in Oregon.

Earlier this month, the USDA told all states that November SNAP benefits cannot be issued until the federal government shutdown ends or new federal direction is given. Their decision will delay food benefits for about 757,000 Oregonians. This includes children, older adults, people with disabilities, and working families who rely on SNAP to help buy groceries.

As part of the food emergency, Oregon is taking steps to make sure people can still get food assistance:

1. The ODHS Office of Resilience and Emergency Management (OREM) will lead a statewide emergency food team.

2. ODHS will send $5 million in emergency funding to food banks across the state to help them buy and distribute food.

3. Governor Kotek is calling on everyone in Oregon to help their neighbors and communities by donating food or money, volunteering, or taking part in local food drives and programs like the “Blue Bag” partnership with grocery stores.

Learn more about the food emergency and how to help: https://apps.oregon.gov/oregon-newsroom/OR/GOV/Posts/Post/governor-kotek-declares-food-emergency-directs-5-million-to-food-banks-and-calls-oregonians-to-action-as-federal-shutdown-cuts-off-snap-benefits

If you need food now, visit https://needfood.oregon.gov

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