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Investigations:
Individuals who have concerns about compliance with laws and regulations as they relate to persons with disabilities conduct independent investigations. This is a forum to submit those concerns, calls for assistance, and progress updates.
Individuals who have concerns about compliance with laws and regulations as they relate to persons with disabilities conduct independent investigations. This is a forum to submit those concerns, calls for assistance, and progress updates.
Current Investigations:
RED ALERTOREGON HEALTH PLAN EMERGENCY As many of you are already
aware, the standard version (if you pay an insurance premium, you have the standard version)
of the Oregon Health Plan will end August 1, 2004. I am working to get
private healthcare funding for a clinics serving uninsured folks. I need stories about what
the plan has done for you or your clients. They can be anonymous, but an email address I can
contact you or the client at would be nice if solutions are identified. I will make the collection
of stories available to interested agencies (minus client email addresses) beginning May 20, 2004. Reponses can be emailed
to: [email protected] Please answer the
following: 1. The age and sex of each
person in your household. 2. Approximately how long
you have been on OHP. 3. Are you working? 4. Were you ill or
disabled before getting OHP? 5. Does anyone in your
household have a chronic medical condition? What is it? 5. How has OHP helped you
or your family member function better? (medications, treatments that let you get back to work, etc.) 6. What will life be like
without it? (Chronic illness reoccurance due to no meds ect...) 7. Is anyone in the
household's primary language not English? (Spanish, Vietnamese, Russian...) Please pass this on to
others...anticipated cuts will affect thousands of Oregonians so I know
there must be some stories out there! |
RED ALERT!
WATCH YOUR MONEY!!!
It has come to our attention that a new rep payee program is in town...and it is run by infamously familar faces.
Integrity Plus RPP has no website, is run by a woman who has been released from service from two other RPP programs, and has no educational background to create a sound social service agency. Additionally, the agency which is located at 4506 SE Belmont, Suite #108 has a telephone number which Googles to: Katina Haynes, (503) 230-2361, 8805 SE 17th Ave, Portland, OR 97202, and the agency is not registered with the Attorney General's Charitable Division Section as required by state law. Additionally, the agency does not list on the state Business Website board members thus making it extremely difficult for public recourse and monitoring of this agency. NW Center for Independent Living staff is eager to hear from individuals and advocates who have encountered this agency and have an evaluation of their practices.
The most daunting question in this investigation is why agency after agency is hosted by individuals with questionable reputations? (The director of Safety Net, for example, was discharged from the former Mental Health West agency). If the point of Representative Payee Programs is to protect funds and apply public benefits as directed by law for individuals required by statute to have their funds managed for them, then it would logically follow that the individuals managing these programs should be above suspicion.
Safety Net does register with the Charitable Division. Like Integrity Plus, they do not list their board members. In their report, they list their address as an apartment, but at least a Google of their telephone traces to their address! Also, on their State of Oregon Business registry they list board members, although two of the three are husband and wife and the wife is the director of the agency...so much for oversight!
Do you have any commentas about Safety Net, Integrity Plus or other Payees? Please let us know!
| Business Entity Data |
| Registry Nbr | Entity Type | Entity Status | Jurisdiction | Registry Date | Duration Date | Renewal Date |
| 653805-87 | DNP | ACT | OREGON | 09-24-1998 |
| Entity Name | SAFETY NET OF OREGON |
| Foreign Name |
| Non Profit Type | PUBLIC BENEFIT |
| New Search | Printer Friendly | Associated Names |
| Type | PPB | PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS |
| Addr 1 | 527 SE MORRISON #104 |
| Addr 2 |
| CSZ | PORTLAND | OR | 97214 | Country | UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
| Type | AGT | REGISTERED AGENT | Start Date | 09-24-1998 | Resign Date |
| Name | LINDA | STELLING |
| Addr 1 | 527 SE MORRISON SUITE 104 |
| Addr 2 |
| CSZ | PORTLAND | OR | 97214 | Country | UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
| Type | PRE | PRESIDENT |
| Name | MARK | A | STELLING |
| Addr 1 | 123 NE 140TH |
| Addr 2 |
| CSZ | PORTLAND | OR | 97230 | Country | UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
| Type | SEC | SECRETARY |
| Name | KATHY | BAHNSON |
| Addr 1 | 19070 SW JOHNSON |
| Addr 2 |
| CSZ | ALOHA | OR | Country | UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
Charitable Activities Section
| Safety Net of Oregon 527 SE Morrison, Apt. 104 Portland OR 97214 |
Registration #: 26877 |
| IRS Code: 501(c)(3) | |
| EIN: 931253014 | |
| Phone: (503) 233 - 1005 | |
| Period: From: Sep 1, 2001 to: Aug 31, 2002 | |
| Category 569: Referal service (social agencies) | |
| Purpose: Provide advocacy and assistance to persons in the community accessing resources. To provide a Representative Payee program for Social Security recipients who are required to have a payee in order to access their funds. | |
| Total Revenue: | $215337.00 |
| Program Service Expense: | $196047.00 |
| Management Expense: | $19838.00 |
| Fund Raising Expense: | $0.00 |
| Total Assets: | $6610.00 |
| Current Campaign: Gaming Info: | |
|
| |
GREEN ALERT
CHEAP FOOD RESEARCH
UPDATE: As of this writing, the food distributor previously supplying most outlets has bought Rose City Foods (MLK & Dekum) and is no longer supplying the outlets. This is a grave loss to the low-income food market! Expect new developments over the next months to replace this food supply. Also, watch www.freeportland.com for new opportunities! - August 2003.
Some of our members are interested in developing a new reclaimed food cooperative.
At many of the liquidators (Such as PRICED RIGHT at SE 12th/Division and local flea markets (Sandy Bvld, and the Old D-Street Coral at 164th/Division) sell food from boxes that appear to be from some sole, local source. It is the vision of these members to locate the source and distribute the food at-cost to our members. Any assistance in locating the source of reclaimed food and health/beauty products would be most appreciated! Please email us at [email protected] and put "food coop" in the subject line.
May 2003
Red Alert
Aging and Disabilty Clients told to move into nursing homes????
May 7, 20003 update
As a followup to the original text below, the author has pursued conversations with State. After speaking with the Gresham Office's Client Employeed Provider program manager, the following was established:
1. Due to HIPAA (Federal Privacy Act Legislation), the State believes that they are unable to write a letter confirming that they will issue funds on behalf of any given client, even if the letter is given to the client directly.
2. Also due to HIPPA, the State is unable to reveal to the client how much the provider will be paid. The client, when making an employment offer to an applicant is unable to tell their employee how much they will make when they begin work.
3. The State at this time is unable to locate persons willing to work as live-in care providers and the CEP program staff does not have the training or resources to market this profession to people looking for work.
4. The unemployment rate in Oregon is the highest in the nation.
NW Center for Independent Living is now inviting consumers, advocates and representatives of the State CEP program, State Employment Office, and the Housing Authority of Portland to begin to address this issue with the intent of finding a solution by the end of Summer 2003. In the interest of time, this group will begin as an internet-based meeting to gather resources and concerns from interested parties effective immediately through June 30, 2003 with a date to be announce in mid-July for an in-person solutions meeting.
Please register for the discussion group here:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nwcenterforindependentliving
For more information about HIPAA, click here or visit:
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2002pres/hipaa.html
It has come to our attention that individuals able to direct their own care are being urged to move into medicaid programs and nursing homes. As reported last month, it is nearly impossible to get the Oregon State Employment Office to list in-home care provider positions. Meanwhile, we have received reports directly from two consumers that their case workers are urging them to move into nursing homes facilities.
An additional stress to locating appropriate attendants is the current attitude of line workers in the state office. This author spoke with "Joel" who identified himself as a back up worker in the Gresham office on May 5, 2003. The individual requiring care had waited over a week for a response from her worker to verify the funds for a new care provider. When she had not heard back, she went back to the office and asked to speak with a back up worker. The worker called NWCIL and said that the wait would continue until the return of person who coordinates the Client Employed Provider program. Additionally, the worker explained that we were wasting our time because "live-ins don't make enough so no one will want to do it." In this day of high unemployment, high homelessness caused by unemployment, and the increasing need for workers, this attitude is NOT what should be shared with the public. It would be much more cost effective for the state worker to receive some sales and marketing training to promote care providing as career than to put their consumers in nursing homes!
Care providers in addition to a base salary get room, board, utilities. When the match between care provider and consumer is right, the care provider also often benefits from such perks not provided by a 9-5 job such as time to study (its a great job for students in some cases) and opportunities to attend recreation events.
NWCIL is interested in receiving reports of individuals who are at risk of losing their housing, being urged to move into medicaid housing or nursing homes, or need a live-in care provider (we'll gladly post your ad!). Please email information to: [email protected]
April 2003:
Update:
RESOLUTION:
It has been determined that this situation is due to a misunderstanding about the profession of care providing.
This situation is now in a resolution phase of joining affected agencies together. For more information, please refer to the May 2003 report.
We are collecting anecedotal and potentially actionable information on the Gresham Office of the State of Oregon Employment office. Please report violations by 05/15/03
At issue: Willingness to post in-home care provider positions paid for by the DSO Client Employed Provider program without unnecessary intrusion into the personal lives of individuals with disabilities by contact case workers and lack of willingness to have potential hirees pre-screened by an advocate at the request of the person with disability as a reasonable accomodation.
March 2003:
Yellow Alert
We are collecting information about an organization called the NW Bible Training Center in Portland, Oregon. Please submit information especially regarding individuals with developmental disabilities, bi-polar disorder, and Traumatic Brain Injury.
At issue: Recruitment methods, refusal to allow medical attention, and client punishment.