North Star Oregon

We are excited to share a milestone for North Star Oregon: our Day Support Activities (DSA) program is now open in Josephine County, serving Grants Pass and the surrounding communities. This marks our first location outside the Willamette Valley and the next chapter in our commitment to bringing person-centered, community-based programming to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) across Oregon. If you are a family, a services coordinator, a personal agent, or an individual looking for a DSA program in southern Oregon — welcome. We have been working toward this for a long time, and we are ready to meet you. What This Means Until now, our DSA programs have operated in Albany, Corvallis, Eugene, Springfield, Salem, and Tangent. Those sites have grown into communities in their own right — places where individuals come together most days of the week to create art, learn skills, volunteer, get outside, and spend time with people who know them well. Now Grants Pass joins that list. The Josephine County program brings the same model of care, the same commitment to individualized support, and the same belief that the adults we support deserve rich, meaningful days in their own community. We are enrolling participants now. Who We Serve in Josephine County Our Josephine County DSA program welcomes adults with I/DD — including Autism, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, and related conditions — who are eligible for services through Oregon's K Plan or 1915(c) Medicaid waivers. Referrals come through ODDS, typically via your Community Developmental Disability Program (CDDP) services coordinator or your brokerage personal agent. We support a wide range of participants: individuals who communicate in many different ways, individuals who use wheelchairs or other mobility equipment, individuals who thrive in busy social settings and individuals who prefer smaller group experiences. What unites our programming is a simple commitment: the day is built around the people in it, not the other way around. What a Day Looks Like Day Support Activities is not a place you drop someone off for eight hours of filler. At North Star, a DSA day is a calendar of real experiences — community outings, skill-building, creative expression, physical activity, volunteering, and social connection — guided by each participant's Individual Support Plan (ISP) and personal goals. In Josephine County, that means programming designed around the rhythms of southern Oregon life: · Trail walks and outdoor time in the parks and natural areas around the Rogue Valley, with accessibility and sensory needs built into every plan. · Art and creative expression — painting, music, crafts, and hands-on projects that give individuals room to try things, make mistakes, and create work they are proud of. · Community outings to local libraries, markets, museums, events, coffee shops, and gathering places in and around Grants Pass. · Volunteering — contributing to local organizations and causes, because everyone deserves the chance to give back. · Skill building — the practical work of independence, from using money to navigating public spaces to preparing simple meals. · Social connection — friendships, familiar faces, and the kind of belonging that comes from seeing the same people day after day. No two days will look exactly alike. That is the point. A good DSA schedule flexes around the interests, energy, and goals of the participants. A Regional Service Area While our Josephine County hub is based in Grants Pass, our program is designed to serve the broader county. We know that families in smaller Josephine County communities have historically had fewer options for community-based day programming close to home. That has been a real gap, and we want to help close it. If you live in a nearby area and you are not sure whether your location works for our program, please reach out. We would rather have a conversation than have a family assume the answer is no. Why Southern Oregon, and Why Now Expanding outside the Willamette Valley was not a casual decision. For years, families and professionals in southern Oregon have told us the same thing: there is real need for high-quality, person-centered DSA programming in the region, and not enough of it. Waitlists have been too long. Options have been too few. Individuals who want to be in their community have too often spent their days at home because nothing nearby fit. We cannot solve all of that at once. But we can show up, do the work well, and grow responsibly. Our Josephine County program will start with the capacity to support a focused group of participants and build out from there, the way we have done in every location we serve. Quality first, growth second. What Makes North Star Different If you are new to our organization, a few things are worth knowing as you consider whether we are the right fit for your loved one. We are a direct-employment model. Our Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) are W-2 employees, not independent contractors. That means they receive training, support, supervision, and benefits — and you get a stable, accountable workforce caring for your loved one. Person-centered is not a marketing term for us. Each participant's day is shaped by their preferences, goals, and ISP. We take the time to know people, and we adjust programming when something is not working. We explain the system. Medicaid waivers, ISPs, ODDS, tax rules for parent-caregivers, the difference between relief care and attendant care — these are the kinds of things we will walk you through in plain English, whether or not you end up working with us. We do both DSA and in-home attendant care. Many families use us for both. If your loved one attends our DSA program during the day and needs attendant care support at home, we can coordinate that care under one umbrella. We show up for the long haul. Services for adults with I/DD are not a short-term engagement. We build relationships with participants and families that last, and we behave accordingly. How to Get Started The path to enrollment is simpler than families sometimes expect. In most cases it looks like this: 1. Reach out to us. A short conversation tells us a lot. We will ask about your loved one, what you are looking for, and what has (and has not) worked in other settings. 2. Loop in your services coordinator or personal agent. If you are already receiving services through ODDS, your SC or PA will help with authorizations and ISP alignment. If you are not yet in services, we can help you figure out next steps. 3. Visit, if you'd like. Seeing a program in action answers questions that words on a page cannot. 4. Start slow and build up. We often begin with a small number of days per week and grow into a full schedule as the fit becomes clear. If you are not yet eligible for ODDS services and are just starting to explore the system, that is okay too. We can point you to the right first steps in Josephine County. For Services Coordinators, Personal Agents, and Community Partners If you work in the Josephine County disability services ecosystem and would like to learn more about our program, we would love to connect. We are actively building relationships with CDDPs, brokerages, and community partners in the region, and we believe strong coordination across providers is what makes services work for the people who depend on them. A Welcome Worth the Wait If you have been waiting for a DSA program in southern Oregon that takes the work seriously — the relationships, the planning, the dignity, the community connections, the quiet craft of a well-run day — we think you will recognize us when you see us. Our doors are open in Josephine County. We are enrolling now. And we would love to hear from your family. To learn more about our Day Support Activities program in Grants Pass and the surrounding Josephine County area, or to ask about in-home attendant care anywhere in Oregon, visit northstaroregon.com or contact our team. We are here to help you figure out the next right step — whatever that looks like for your family. --- North Star Oregon provides In-Home Attendant Care and Day Support Activities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities across Oregon. Our programs operate in Albany, Corvallis, Eugene, Springfield, Salem, Tangent, and now Grants Pass / Josephine County. Services are funded through Oregon's K Plan and 1915(c) Medicaid waivers, with referrals coordinated through ODDS.

If you are a parent caring for a child or adult with intellectual or developmental disabilities, you already know what most people don’t: caregiving is full-time, year-round, and unlike any other job in the world. There are no clock-out times. There are nights without sleep. There are mornings that begin again before the previous day has fully ended. And through it all, there is profound love — the kind that holds you up even when your body and mind are exhausted. You also know something else: you cannot pour from an empty cup. The well-being of the person you care for is tied directly to your own well-being. When you are rested, supported, and cared for, you can show up for them more fully. When you are running on fumes, everyone suffers. This is why relief care — sometimes called respite care — exists. And this is why every parent- caregiver in Oregon deserves to know it’s available, what it looks like, and how to access it. What Is Relief Care? Relief care, in the context of Oregon disability services, is short-term care provided by someone other than the primary caregiver. It allows the parent or family caregiver to step away — for an afternoon, a weekend, an evening out, an appointment, a workshop, a nap, a date night, or simply a few hours of quiet — while their loved one continues to receive safe, qualified support. Relief care can happen in many forms: • A trained Direct Support Professional (DSP) comes to your home for a few hours so you can run errands or rest • Your loved one attends a Day Support Activities (DSA) program during the day so you can work, recover, or do something for yourself • Overnight care is provided so you can sleep through the night, attend a wedding out of town, or take a much-needed vacation • A family member or friend is paid through the system to provide regular relief The goal of relief care is simple: to keep families strong, sustainable, and intact over the long haul. Caregiving is a marathon, not a sprint, and relief care is one of the most important ways the system supports families to keep going. Why Relief Care Is So Important The data on caregiver health is sobering. Studies consistently show that long-term family caregivers experience higher rates of: • Chronic stress and burnout • Depression and anxiety • Sleep deprivation • Physical health problems including back pain, immune dysfunction, and cardiovascular disease • Social isolation • Financial strain And these effects compound over years and decades. A parent caring for a child with significant disabilities for 20 or 30 years carries an enormous weight — physically, emotionally, and financially. Without breaks, the cost adds up. Relief care isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity for sustainable caregiving. Families who use relief care regularly tend to report better mental health, stronger marriages, more present parenting for siblings, and a greater ability to keep their loved one at home rather than in a more restrictive setting. Said differently: relief care helps keep families together. How Relief Care Is Funded in Oregon In Oregon, relief care for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities is funded primarily through Medicaid — specifically through the K Plan (Community First Choice State Plan) and the 1915(c) waivers that support adults and children with I/DD. These programs pay for a range of in-home and community-based services, including: • In-Home Attendant Care (which can include relief care hours) • Day Support Activities • Employment supports • Skills training • And, in many cases, dedicated relief care hours within an Individual Support Plan The exact amount of relief care available depends on the individual’s annual budget, which is set through the Oregon Needs Assessment (ONA), and the priorities outlined in the Individual Support Plan (ISP). Some families have a specific allocation for relief; others fold relief into their broader attendant care hours. If you’re not sure how much relief care your loved one is approved for, your Services Coordinator (through your county CDDP) or Personal Agent (through a brokerage) is the right person to ask. They can walk you through your current ISP, help you advocate for additional hours if needed, and connect you with providers. Who Provides Relief Care? In Oregon, relief care is provided by qualified Direct Support Professionals — typically trained, background-checked, and employed by an agency that handles the complexities of payroll, workers’ compensation, training, and oversight. There are also models where families hire individuals directly, but increasingly, more families are choosing direct-employment agencies (where DSPs are W-2 employees of the agency, not contractors). The benefits of this model include: • The agency handles taxes, payroll, workers’ comp, and HR • DSPs receive training, supervision, and support • There is built-in backup if a regular caregiver is sick or unavailable • Liability and oversight are professionally managed • Continuity is more reliable, because the agency is invested in matching and retention At North Star Oregon, we use a direct-employment model precisely because we believe it produces better outcomes for both the individuals we support and the families who depend on us. What If a Family Member Wants to Be the Caregiver? Here’s a piece of news that surprises many families: in Oregon, parents and other family members can be paid to provide care for their own children or adult family members in many situations. This includes both regular attendant care hours and, in some cases, relief care hours when another qualified caregiver is unavailable. The ability to be paid for caregiving is significant for families where one parent has had to stop working or reduce hours to provide care. It transforms what was unpaid labor into a livable income, while also allowing the family to keep their loved one at home rather than in a more institutional setting. There are rules and structures to follow — caregivers must be hired through an agency or appropriate channel, must meet training and background check requirements, and must document hours worked. But for many families, this option has been life-changing. In a shared-home setting, North Star Oregon employs parent-caregivers as W-2 staff, which provides the legal, tax, and benefit protections of formal employment while honoring the unique role parents play in their children’s lives. Tips for Making the Most of Relief Care If you’re new to using relief care, here are a few things that experienced families have learned along the way: Start small. Your first time leaving your loved one with a new caregiver may feel impossible. Start with a one- or two-hour outing close to home before working up to longer breaks. Find the right match. A good DSP-to-individual fit makes all the difference. Don’t be afraid to give feedback to your provider if a match isn’t working — a quality agency will work to find someone who’s right. Build a routine. Consistency helps everyone. Same caregiver, same day, same time each week tends to work better than scattered, unpredictable coverage. Use the time intentionally. It’s tempting to use relief hours for chores and errands, and sometimes that’s exactly right. But also schedule time for things that fill you up — coffee with a friend, a walk in the park, a movie, a long bath, a nap. Whatever recharges you. Don’t feel guilty. This is a hard one. Many parent-caregivers carry deep guilt about taking time away. Remember: you are not abandoning your loved one. You are sustaining the very care they depend on. Rest is part of the work. Document and communicate. Keep a simple log of routines, preferences, and important details that help a new caregiver get up to speed quickly. The smoother the handoff, the more you can relax. Ask for what you need. If your current relief care hours aren’t enough, talk to your Services Coordinator. Needs change over time, and ISPs can be updated. A Word About Sustainability We meet many families who have been pushing through caregiving for years without ever taking a real break. Sometimes they didn’t know relief care was available. Sometimes they felt guilty asking. Sometimes they tried once, had a bad experience, and never tried again. If that’s you, please hear this: it’s not too late, and you are not alone. The system exists to support you. Good providers exist. Your loved one will be okay. And you — you matter. Your health matters. Your rest matters. Your joy matters. The most loving thing you can do for your family is take care of yourself well enough to stay in this for the long haul. How North Star Oregon Can Help At North Star Oregon, we provide In-Home Attendant Care and Day Support Activities across the Willamette Valley, including dedicated relief care hours that give parent-caregivers the breaks they need. Our W-2 employed Direct Support Professionals are trained, background- checked, and matched thoughtfully to each individual we support. Whether you need a few hours of relief each week, regular DSA programming so you can return to work, or overnight care so you can finally take a vacation, we’d love to help you build a plan that works for your family. Take the First Step If you’re a parent-caregiver in Oregon and you’ve been running on empty, let this be your sign. Reach out to North Star Oregon to learn more about relief care, in-home attendant care, and day support activities. We’re here to walk alongside your family. Visit northstaroregon.com or contact us today — and please, take the break you deserve.