The ODHS Office of Developmental Disabilities Services launched a website, ImpactOregon.careers, focused on available positions in the developmental disabilities field throughout Oregon. Job seekers statewide can browse available listings based on location, wage range and experience level. The goal of Impact Oregon is to reach Oregonians passionate about helping others who may not even be aware that this field exists. Read more in an ODHS news release about Impact Oregon.

Jan. 13, 2021 – The U.S. Treasury began issuing its second round of stimulus payments in January 2021. ODHS and the Oregon Department of Revenue teamed up to help spread the word and prevent people from accidentally throwing away their stimulus payment debit cards.

Family members, or those in a close, trusted relationship, are responsible for nearly half of substantiated financial exploitation cases of older adults in Oregon and the success of all investigations often depends on access to records and involvement of law enforcement, according to a study by the Oregon Department of Human Services Office of Aging and People with Disabilities. The study contains analysis of financial exploitation from more than 600 cases investigated statewide in 2019. See more findings and highlights in an ODHS news release about the study.

Feb. 18, 2021 – After a powerful snow and ice storm in February 2021, ODHS worked to help people replace Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits if they lost food due to a power outage or other storm-related reason.

The Oregon Department of Human Services was awarded a $6.3 million grant by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for a disaster case management program. This program provides funding and technical assistance to ensure holistic services to each impacted Oregonian. The program offers a single point of contact to coordinate a variety of services to assist in addressing the unmet disaster-related needs of September 2020 wildfire survivors. More information is available in an ODHS news release about the grant.

The ODHS Child Welfare Division Family First Prevention Services plan, also referred to as Title IV-E, was approved by the Federal Children’s Bureau and allows the state to provide more supports and services to children and families before foster care becomes necessary. The Oregon five-year plan outlines how the state will support families in crisis, by offering evidence-based programs for mental health, addiction and recovery, resources for pregnant and parenting teens, and residential treatment requirements. Read more in an ODHS news release about the plan.

The ODHS Office of Aging and People with Disabilities commissioned the first Oregon statewide survey to hear from adults age 55 and older who identify as LGBTQ+ to determine if services that support health and wellbeing are meeting their needs. The confidential and
anonymous survey was led by researcher Karen Fredriksen Goldsen, PhD, a national expert on aging in underserved communities at the University of Washington. The survey was announced in May 2021 and results became available in September 2021.

May 27, 2021 – ODHS and the Oregon Health Authority launched the OregONEligibility (ONE) system statewide in 2021. ONE allows Oregonians to apply for medical, food, cash and child care assistance in ONE place.

In June 2021, ODHS announced that disability rights activist Judy Heumann, recently featured in the Oscar-nominated documentary “Crip Camp,” would kick off a series of weekly webinar sessions in recognition of the 31st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Hosted by the Oregon Disabilities Commission and the Northwest ADA Center, the free weekly sessions were held virtually to allow more Oregonians to have access to information about the ADA. Read more in an ODHS news release about the webinar series.

ODHS began issuing Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) food benefits on July 22. P-EBT provides food benefits to families whose children did not have access to the free or reduced-priced meals usually provided at school or childcare centers. Oregon was approved to provide retroactive food benefits to eligible students for the 2020-21 school year. In addition to the initial July distribution, P-EBT continued to be issued in August, September and October 2021. In total, Oregon provided approximately $563 million in food benefits to nearly 429,000 Oregon students and children between July and October.

July 15, 2021 – ODHS announced $2 million in emergency cash assistance available to some teens and young adults who experienced foster care. Approximately 4,000 young people between the ages of 14 and 26 who
experienced foster care when they were age 14 or older in Oregon, a different state or in a Tribal Nation’s Child Welfare agency were eligible for the emergency cash assistance.

ODHS awarded The Disaster Services Corporation – Society of St. Vincent de Paul USA the contract for ODHS’s Disaster Case Management Program. The program provides funding and assistance to help survivors of the September 2020 wildfires connect with services and resources to support them on their path to full recovery. Disaster case managers serve as a single point of contact to assist in addressing survivors’ unmet disaster-related needs, such as document recovery; navigating eligibility for various programs; finding interim and permanent housing along with household supplies and furniture; and accessing counseling and job search support. More information is in an ODHS news release about the contract.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). This year, more than ever, as employers have shuttered doors or moved to remote work, people with disabilities have been disproportionately impacted. Their loss of employment was at a higher rate than their peers without disabilities. ODHS, the Oregon Commission for the
Blind (OCB) and Oregon Department of Education (ODE) invited the public to a series of free webinars around the theme of inclusion. Read more in an ODHS news release about the webinars.

ODHS Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) was one of eight programs across the nation that was awarded the Disability Innovation Fund (DIF) Program grant. VR received $18.2 million to plan, develop and implement the Inclusive Career Advancement Program (ICAP) project.
The project will serve 500 people with disabilities to help them get support and services needed to reach their career goals, advance in their career and ultimately reach their career potential. Oregon’s 17 community colleges as well as workforce development partners across the state will participate. More information is in an ODHS news release about the grant.

Oct. 21, 2021 – As part of ODHS' commitment to become a more person-centered and equitable agency, the agency is preparing to redesign its website so that it's easier to use for all Oregonians. Part of this process includes testing to gather input from the people we serve, staff, partners and providers. In October 2021, ODHS launched a "card sort exercise" to help the agency understand how people think of its programs and services as they relate to one another.

In early 2020, the ODHS Child Welfare Division began receiving technical assistance from the University of Kentucky Center for Innovation in Population Health to apply safety science to ODHS Child Welfare child fatality reviews (often
called “critical incidents”). Safety science provides a framework for Child Welfare to better understand the complexities of the work and supports professionals to process, share, and learn from child fatalities to prevent additional tragedies. In collaboration with 26 other state, county and tribal child and family serving agencies, the National Partnership for Child Safety (NPCS) was announced in Nov. 2021. The partnership is supported by Casey Family Programs. Read more in an ODHS news release about the partnership.

Nov. 8, 2021 – Thanks to the help of two new bilingual communications officers, ODHS has been able to increase its outreach to members of Oregon's Spanish speaking communities. This includes a webpage entirely in Spanish that focuses on resources families can access during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The United States is currently coordinating the relocation of more than 70,000 people following their evacuation from Afghanistan. Afghan families began arriving in Oregon this fall, and the number of arrivals will increase in the coming months. Oregon has committed to resettling 1,200 Afghan arrivals, but existing federal
funding does not provide adequate support for these efforts. During the December special session, the Oregon Legislature approved $18 million in funding for Afghan refugee resettlement efforts. This funding will help provide Afghan individuals and families resettling in Oregon with housing, education, legal aid, job training and other culturally responsive services. More information is in an ODHS news release about the resettlement efforts.