Governing Body and Organizational Structure

Membership: The EOSSB is a not-for-profit membership organization. The membership consists of all individuals served and their families, as well as interested others from advocacy groups, service providers, interested community members, and case management entities. The membership has a majority of family members and self-advocates.

Board of Directors: The board of directors consists of 12 to 15 people, with at least a simple majority of families and self-advocates. In its first year of operation, the Board of Directors was comprised of two founding members (the original incorporators), and one representative selected from each of the existing Self Directed Support groups in the region. Board members drew lots to establish one, two and three year terms. In subsequent years, new board members will be elected at an annual meeting by the membership using a process that facilitates the meaningful participation of self-advocates. A nominating and elections process is specified in the By-laws of the EOSSB that ensures family and self advocate representation, as well as regional representation on the Board of Directors.

Local Alliances: Recognizing that a successful Eastern Oregon infrastructure has been built around the existing self-directed support program, a method to maintain that local infrastructure is an important part of the organization. In addition to the annual meeting described above, the membership has the opportunity to work together to plan and develop local service delivery expansion, as well as to advise the Board of Directors through regular regional meetings. These Local Alliances are made up of members of the organization in the region, and just like themembership and the board of directors, are composed of a majority of families and self-advocates. The Executive Director and Personal Agents from the region act as support staff to facilitate meetings of these local alliances and ensure information gets to the Board of Directors in situations where a local alliance may not have representation on the Board of Directors. Local Alliances also function to assist in the planning and development of local service delivery and capacity, and to review data and make recommendations regarding satisfaction with services and other quality assurance measures. Local alliances relate to the organization through Personal Agents from the region and representation on the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors and the Local Alliances collaborate in the oversight and implementation of a quality assurance process. Personal Agents work with Local Alliances to increase the meaningful participation of families and self-advocates.

The membership, through its elected board of directors sets organization policy. The Executive Director is responsible for hiring and supervision of staff and the day to day operation of the organization. The Board of Directors, in concert with the Local Alliances, reviews satisfaction data and other quality assurance measures and approve plans for continuous improvement of services. The board collaborates with its membership through the local alliances to plan and develop local service delivery expansion. Although the hiring of Personal Agents is the responsibility of the Executive Director, members of local alliances meaningfully assist (with supports if necessary) in the hiring process.

In September 2000, a lawsuit brought against the State of Oregon was settled. In part, this lawsuit was responding to the fact that many adults with developmental disabilities were not receiving any needed supports and that available support dollars were often applied unevenly across the state. Commonly referred to as the Staley settlement, this agreement is changing how services for adults will be planned and delivered in the future. The Staley Agreement calls for "universal access" to self-directed Support Services for all adults with developmental disabilities. In essence, this creates an entitlement to support services for all eligible adults with developmental disabilities built upon the principles of self-determination. Access to these support services, through Support Service brokerages, must be applied on an equitable, fair and uniform basis across the state regardless of what part of the state a person lives in. The first customers enrolled into these emerging brokerages in the fall of 2001. A statewide plan has been developed which will assure access to these services across the State by 2005.

Oregon's vision is that the entire range of DD services will be clustered under the larger umbrella of Self-Direction. Support Services for adults, Children and Family Support services and Comprehensive services will, as time goes by, offer individuals and their families the opportunity to experience the four principles of self-determination.

On August 3, 2001, the Department of Human Services completed its evaluation and scoring of the proposals received in response to Solicitation #720 for Support Service Brokerages. The apparent successful awardee for the Eastern Region was the Eastern Oregon Support Services Brokerage.

On October 30, 2001, DHS notified the the EOSSB proposers that they were the apparent winner.

On December 14, 2001, a contract with DHS/SPD was signed.

On December 24, 2001, funding was received to begin operations.

On January 21, 2002, all staff had been hired (Eight Personal agents, 1 Accountant and 1 Secretary/Fiscal Support Staff).

On Feb 4 and 5 all staff attended an Organization inservice training session.

From Feb 18 through 22, staff attended a weeklong training conducted by the Self-Directed Support Training and & Technical Assistance Project of Oregon Health Sciences University

On March 1, 2002, EOSSB staff began serving the first group of 62 customers.

Approximately 5 to 10 customers per month have been enrolled every month through January, 2003.

EOSSB is a new entity.

The creation of the EOSSB arose out of the fervent belief that to fulfill the emerging best practices in self-determination, a completely independent entity must be created to ensure the transfer of power and control from the current system to the individual.