December 2018 Newsletter - Happy Holidays!
As December comes quickly to an end, we are reminded to take a moment to reflect on the past year as we think ahead to the new year to come. 2018 was a special year for Community Pathways, highlighted by several milestones and important changes:
We moved to the Seven Corners Collaborative in June.
We launched a new website.
We celebrated CPI’s 10th anniversary as a support services brokerage in July.
The Grand Opening of The Seven Corners Collaborative in September was a hit.
Info fairs and self-advocacy events helped us to connect with more people and resources in the community and share what Community Pathways does as a support services brokerage.
Several new staff members were added to our growing team.
The introduction of the Oregon Needs Assessment (ONA) led to the creation of three new ONA Assessor positions on our team. We are grateful that two of these positions were able to be filled by existing staff members.
Over the course of the past year, we’ve gained over 60 new followers on Facebook, helping us to connect with more people and to make more resources accessible online.
Our capacity has grown from serving 450 to 475 individuals.
Thank you to everyone who has helped make 2018 an extra special year for Community Pathways. We are grateful for the individuals and community we serve and look forward to connecting with more of you in 2019.
Happy Holidays!
-The CPI Team
2018 News Recap
website launch & online resources
Earlier this year, Community Pathways redesigned and launched a new website to help us make the information and resources we connect people with more accessible online. We are also excited to be connecting with more individuals, families and providers through our website and Facebook page. The update was guided by feedback from individuals, providers, and members of our staff and board. This feedback also informs our use of Facebook, which has helped us gain over 60 new followers this year! Please, leave a comment or review to share your experience of us and help more people get to know us better. Thank you!
We Moved!
Visit us at the Seven Corners Collaborative
Come visit us at our new location in the Seven Corners Collaborative in southeast Portland. We moved to this new building in June. It is designed to be universally accessible. We are grateful to be sharing this building with our partners Community Vision, FACT Oregon, and the Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities. Visitors are welcome to tour the Assistive Technology Lab and test out the accessible kitchen. Just ask!
Our new location and address:
2475 SE Ladd Avenue, Suite 220, Portland, OR 97214
10th anniversary celebration
Community Pathways' celebrated its 10th anniversary as a support services brokerage in July. We hosted a party and invited the individuals we serve, their families and providers, our staff members, board members, and partner organizations to celebrate with us. It was a fun and meaningful opportunity for the community to gather and create fun memories together. We are grateful for the individuals and community we serve. Thank you to New Seasons-Seven Corners for donating food toward the event. We are glad to have neighbors that want to partner with us and support our mission of assisting people with disabilities to live empowered, self-determined lives through community connections. Thank you to everyone who joined us for this celebration!
Grand Opening of Seven Corners Collaborative
The Grand Opening of the Seven Corners Collaborative building in September was a success. Over 200 people attended the opening, including some of the individuals we serve, their families and providers. We’re grateful to Teote for generously donating delicious food toward the event. The Grand Opening was a wonderful opportunity to get to know our neighbors, community partners, and the individuals and families we all serve. Thank you to everyone who joined us!
Changes to our staff - New Hires & New Roles
Admin Staff:
This fall, Olivia joined our team as the full-time Administrative Assistant. She is the first person many people connect with when they contact and visit our office. Kaaren, who was recently named Self Advocate of the Year by OSAC, just started her position as Front Desk Support and helps greet people and answer calls when Olivia is away from the front desk. Tracy has returned to our team after living abroad for a year. She provides much appreciated help with filing. Meet our team.
ONA Assessors:
The introduction of the Oregon Needs Assessment (ONA) this year led to the creation of three ONA Assessor positions on our team. We are glad to have filled two of the three roles with existing staff members. All three ONA Assessors bring diverse experience and compassion to their positions. More information about the ONA will be provided in 2019. Meet our ONA Assessors. If you have questions, ask a PA or contact us.
Info Fairs & Outreach
Community Pathways attended several info fairs and advocacy events this year and looks forward to connecting with more individuals and community partners this coming year. Our goal is to educate more people about support services brokerages, the process of entering into brokerage services, person-centered approaches to support services, the principles of self-determination, and self-advocacy.
The info fairs and events we attended in 2018 include:
Multnomah County Information Fair for I/DD on May 1, 2018 was well attended by families and individuals experiencing I/DD who live in Multnomah County. Learn more about Multnomah County DD services.
Clackamas County Support Services Info Nights provide an opportunity for ‘transition age’ individuals to learn about adult support services that will become available to them when they turn 18. We also welcome individuals who are 18 years of age and older who want to learn more about brokerage support services. Info nights are held at Clackamas Education Service District.
OHSU’s 5th Annual DD Transition Fair: A Passport to a Healthy Future. The event was organized by The Institute on Developmental Disability (IDD) at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) and held at Mount Hood Community College. The event, “emphasized a holistic approach to adolescent transition for young people (ages 12-26) who experience disability.”
2018 Division/Clinton Street Fair and Parade. Community Pathways helped sponsor this event and partnered with the Oregon Council on Developmental Disability to staff a booth. We enjoyed connecting with our new neighborhood in southeast Portland, sharing about available support services and self-advocacy opportunities. 8,000 visitors attended this event. Join the fun next summer at the 2019 Division/Clinton Street Fair and Parade!
We look forward to participating in these events and more in 2019. Questions? Call Kristine at (503) 935-5243 ext. 228 or email us.
Advocacy & volunteer service
Throughout the year, members of our team volunteer with different organizations that advocate for and assist individuals with a developmental disability to live full lives in the community. Among the organizations and events that our staff members volunteer for are:
Build A Movement is an initiative led by Self-Advocates Taking Action and supported by Community Vision and support services brokerage staff. BAM helps self-advocates organize, focus on key topics, and prepare to speak with legislators about issues addressed in their planning meetings. To get involved, please email Jennifer Knapp at jknapp@cvision.org
2018 All Ability Tri4Youth organized by FACT Oregon was a major success. Two members of our staff volunteered and had a great time cheering on kids of all abilities in their events. Save the date for the event on August 10, 2019 at the Tualatin Hills Athletic Center in Beaverton. SAVE THE DATE for the 2019 All Ability Tri4Youth will be held on August 10, 2019.
2018 TASH Conference. Community Pathways, FACT Oregon, Community Vision, and OCDD helped serve on the Local Host Committee for the 2018 TASH Conference held in Portland in November. Community Pathways sponsored two advocates (one self-advocate and one parent of an individual with a developmental disability) to attend the three-day conference.
DDAC Holiday Food and Toy Box Delivery. For the past four years, staff members have volunteered to help IDDAC (Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Advisory Committee), Sunshine Division (Portland Police Bureau) and Toy and Joy Makers (Portland Fire and Rescue) deliver food and toy boxes to individuals we serve.
Want to get involved? Call Kristine at (503) 935-5243 ext 228 or email us.
2019
Upcoming Advocacy Events
Build A Movement
Join self-advocates in building a movement to address issues faced by adults with developmental disabilities living in the Portland Metro area, including housing, health care, and DD services. Questions? Email Jennifer Knapp at jknapp@cvision.org
DD Advocacy Days
Join the Oregon Developmental Disability Coalition's GO! Project Advocacy Team and join in advocacy during the 2019 Legislative Session, starting January 22nd. 2019 GO! Project Schedule
We want to hear from you - share your story
We want to hear from you. Please consider sharing your story to help others live a more empowered, self-determined life in the community.
Please take a few minutes to leave a comment or review about Community Pathways on our Facebook page. Your reviews and comments help people visiting our page learn about who we are and what we do as a support services brokerage to assist individuals with disabilities to live empowered, self-determined lives through community connections.
Please remember: Community Pathways is a case management entity (CME) and support services brokerage. We are neither a provider agency nor the employer of direct support providers, such as personal support workers. We do assist individuals to enroll the direct support providers they choose to help them meet their needs and goals.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your PA or call our executive director Jennifer Santiago at (503) 935-5243 ext. 244. We appreciate your feedback!
Happy Holidays!
-The CPI Team