What is a Brokerage?

A brokerage is an agency (and often a nonprofit organization) contracted by the State of Oregon to provide case management services (or "brokerage services") to adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities living on their own or in their family homes in the community. For more information about brokerages in Oregon, click here.

What are Brokerage Support Services?

Brokerage support services are case management services provided by a personal agent (PA) through a brokerage agency (such as Community Pathways) to adults with developmental disabilities who live on their own or in their family homes, in the community. 

Am I Eligible for Brokerage Services?

Eligibility for brokerage services is based on your eligibility for Developmental Disability services, which are determined by Oregon Developmental Disabilities Services (ODDS) and your local Community Developmental Disabilities Program (CDDP) office through the county.

You are eligible for brokerage services if you are a resident of Oregon, over the age of 18, with a documented developmental and intellectual disability, and you live on your own or in your family home. For detailed information about eligibility, click here.

What is a personal agent? What is their role?

A Personal Agent (PA) is an employee of a Support Services Brokerage who acts as a service coordinator and case manager. They primarily assist adults with developmental disabilities to access, arrange and monitor services and resources that support their customers' needs. They collaborate with each customer and the customer's support team to create an Individualized Support Plan (ISP) through the use of person-centered planning. The PA is responsible for many tasks, including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Identify customers' personal goals and support needs
  • Create customers' Individualized Support Plan (ISP) in collaboration with the customer
  • Assist in finding qualified providers, and facilitating provider interviews
  • Coordinate with providers and other agencies to ensure customers' support needs are being met
  • Review provider invoices to ensure customers' support needs are being met
  • Check in with customers at a minimum of every 3 months to monitor the effectiveness of supports, and to assess health and safety risks
  • Revise customers' Individualized Support Plan (ISP) as needed
  • Link and refer customers to community resources
  • Coordinate emergency services and safety planning

Personal Agents are not direct service providers who help customers with activities of daily living (ADL). While a PA will help a customer with the process of hiring service providers, the PA is not the employer of service providers or responsible for their payment. The primary function of a PA is to connect, facilitate and monitor services provided to customers by services providers.

 

What is a Service Provider?

A service provider is any agency or individual paid for by Medicaid dollars to provide Title XIX services to individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.

 

What Types of Providers Are there?

There are three types of providers to choose from:

  1. Independent Providers: They include Personal Support Workers (PSW) or PSW Specialist. They are paid to directly provide services to an individual.
  2. Provider Organizations:  They are agencies that employ certified providers to directly serve individuals with developmental disabilities.
  3. General Business Providers: They are organizations or entities that provide services to the general public, not just people with developmental disabilities. They include Trimet, taxi services, office supply stores, etc. which provide services that support independent living.

How do I find a PSW to hire?

The Home Care Commission has a Registry and Referral System for PSWs. To view the registry with profiles, click here.

Talk with your Personal Agent about hiring a  qualified PSW who is safe and responsible and will be able to provide the right support to meet your needs and goals.

What is the process for hiring a PSW?

The process looks slightly different for customers and PSWs depending on whether or not they are new to the system of brokerage services. In general:

  • For a new PSW, the combined enrollment and hiring process takes approximately 6-8 weeks to complete. Remember: PSWs must be qualified before they are paid for services.
  • For an existing PSW, the hiring process takes approximately 2-4 weeks.
  • For a Customer, it takes approximately 2 weeks to enroll as a new Employer.

Important:  A PSW cannot start working and be paid for services until they have been qualified through a brokerage agency to work with customers. The enrollment and qualification process can take up to 8 weeks. Once a PSW is qualified to work with customers, it is important they update their credentials before they expire. The credential renewal process also takes 6-8 weeks.

How do i find housing?

How do I find employment?

How does employment affect my benefits?

Employment will affect your social security benefits. For more information about employment and  benefits planning, click on the links below.

Disability Rights Oregon's Plan for Work

Department of Human Services' Benefits and Work Incentives Counseling