Brokerages are one of the most distinctive features of Oregon's disability service landscape. They are also one of the most misunderstood. This guide walks through what brokerages are, who they serve, what personal agents do, and how brokerage services fit alongside the care North Star Oregon and other providers deliver.
A Little History (The Short Version)
In the early 2000s, Oregon became one of the first states in the country to build a system for adults with developmental disabilities that emphasized self-direction. The idea was simple but radical: instead of routing every adult with I/DD into the same county case management system, give adults the option to direct their own supports through a local nonprofit that worked for them, not the state.
Brokerages were the result. Oregon currently has a network of fourteen regional brokerages covering every county in the state. They are independent nonprofit organizations, but they are funded through ODDS and operate under state oversight. Some serve a single county; some serve many.
The brokerage system is specifically for adults age 18 and older who live on their own, with family, or in other non-24-hour settings — people who want help planning and coordinating supports but who are not in a residential or foster-care arrangement.
Who Does a Brokerage Serve?
You may be a good fit for brokerage services if:
- You are an adult with I/DD eligible through ODDS
- You live in your own home, with family, or in a non-licensed setting (not a residential care facility or adult foster home)
- You want an active voice in how your supports are chosen and used
- You have a level of support need that does not require 24-hour supervision
Brokerages are an alternative to county case management through a Community Developmental Disabilities Program (CDDP). Most adults in Oregon can choose either path. Children and adults who need 24-hour residential supports are typically served through their CDDP or through a comprehensive residential provider rather than a brokerage.
Meet Your Personal Agent
The single most important person in the brokerage system is the personal agent (often called a PA).
A personal agent is your primary point of contact at the brokerage. Their job is to help you figure out what you want your life to look like, plan supports that move you toward it, manage the budget and paperwork, and adjust the plan as things change.
A good personal agent does many things:
- Leads your person-centered planning process
- Writes and updates your Individual Support Plan (ISP) with you
- Explains what services you are eligible for and what your budget allows
- Helps you identify and hire providers like North Star Oregon
- Reviews timesheets, service agreements, and documentation
- Connects you with community resources
- Advocates for you when something isn't working
Personal agents typically carry a caseload of around 40–60 individuals, which is lower than most county case managers. That lower caseload is a deliberate design choice — it is part of what allows PAs to know their clients well and respond to their actual lives, not just to compliance requirements.
Person-Centered Planning: The Heart of Brokerage Work
The planning process at a brokerage is designed to start with the person, not the system. A good person-centered plan starts with questions like:
- What does a good day look like for you?
- What do you want to learn or get better at?
- Who are the important people in your life, and how do you stay connected to them?
- What do you want your home, work, and community life to look like in one year? Five years?
- What is making life harder right now, and where do you want support?
These questions may feel obvious, but historically the disability services system has worked the other way around — starting with what the system has and fitting people into it. Oregon's brokerages helped lead a national shift back toward putting the person first. The ISP that comes out of that conversation is meant to be your plan, not the brokerage's plan for you.
What Services Can a Brokerage Fund?
A brokerage itself does not provide direct care. What it does is help you use your Medicaid waiver dollars — your “support services” budget — to purchase services from providers.
Common services funded through brokerage plans include:
- Attendant Care — One-on-one help with activities of daily living, delivered in your home or community by an agency like North Star Oregon.
- Community Inclusion — Support to participate in community life: volunteering, hobbies, classes, events, faith communities, and relationships.
- Employment Support — Help finding, learning, and keeping a job in the community.
- Environmental Modifications — Physical changes to your home (ramps, grab bars, accessible bathrooms) that support independence.
- Transportation — Help getting to work, medical appointments, and community activities.
- Specialized Medical Supplies and Equipment — Items not covered by standard health insurance.
- Relief Care — Support that gives family caregivers a break.
- Family Training — Education for family members on specific topics relevant to the individual's support needs.
Your personal agent helps you decide which services make sense, how many hours you need, and which providers are a good fit. You are the decision-maker — the PA is the guide.
How a Brokerage Works With a Provider Like North Star Oregon
Here is where the two worlds meet. The brokerage plans and coordinates. Providers like North Star Oregon deliver.
In practice, that means:
- You and your personal agent identify that you need, say, 20 hours per week of In-Home Attendant Care and a DSA program three days per week.
- Your PA shares a service agreement template with us, outlining hours, goals, and funding.
- We meet with you and your family, talk through what support should look like day to day, and introduce you to caregivers we think will be a good match.
- Our caregivers (W-2 employees of North Star Oregon) deliver services in your home and community.
- We document services, invoice the brokerage, and communicate with your PA about progress, concerns, and any adjustments needed.
- At your annual ISP meeting, the three of us — you, your PA, and our team — review what's working and update the plan.
This three-way partnership (individual, brokerage, provider) is the core of how self-directed services work in Oregon. When it works well, it's one of the most person-centered disability service models in the country.
CDDP vs. Brokerage: Which Is Right for You?
This is one of the most common questions families ask, so let's be direct.
Consider a CDDP if:
- You need comprehensive 24-hour residential supports
- You are a child (most children receive services through a CDDP)
- You prefer a more traditional case management relationship with the county
- Your support needs are complex and highly medical
Consider a brokerage if:
- You are an adult living on your own or with family
- You want active involvement in directing your own supports
- You value a lower caseload and more time with your case manager (personal agent)
- You are looking for flexibility in choosing and changing providers
Many adults are eligible for either path and can choose. You can also transfer from one to the other if your needs change. If you are unsure which is right for you, both your CDDP and your local brokerage will talk with you about the differences without pressure.
Finding Your Brokerage
Each region of Oregon has its own brokerage. In the Willamette Valley, depending on your county, you may work with brokerages serving Linn, Benton, Lane, Marion, Polk, and surrounding counties. ODDS maintains a directory, and your local CDDP can tell you which brokerages serve your area.
When you contact a brokerage, you will typically have an introductory conversation with an intake coordinator who explains their services, walks you through enrollment, and connects you with a personal agent.
Common Questions
Do I have to give up my doctor, my providers, or my current services to enroll with a brokerage?
No. Brokerages coordinate your ODDS-funded supports. Your medical care, therapies, and other non-ODDS services stay the same.
Does the brokerage get a cut of my services budget?
Brokerages are funded by ODDS to provide case management. Your services budget is used to pay providers for the direct services you receive.
Can I change personal agents if we aren't a good fit?
Yes. Brokerages are accustomed to reassignments. You can request a different PA, and in some cases you can change brokerages entirely.
How often will I see my personal agent?
This varies, but most PAs meet with the people they support at least quarterly, and more often during ISP development, transitions, or changes in circumstance.
Why This Matters
Oregon's brokerage system represents a deeply held belief: that adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities are not problems to be managed but people with their own lives to build. The structure of the system — small caseloads, self-direction, person-centered planning, and real choice in providers — is the infrastructure for that belief.
Understanding how brokerages, personal agents, and providers fit together helps you use the system the way it was designed to be used: as a flexible set of tools that you and the person you love get to direct, not as a set of rules you are navigating around.
Connect With Us
North Star Oregon works closely with brokerages and personal agents across the state to deliver In-Home Attendant Care and Day Support Activities for adults with I/DD. If you are enrolled with a brokerage and looking for a provider, or if you are trying to decide whether a brokerage is the right path for you, we are happy to help you think it through.
Visit northstaroregon.com or contact our team to learn more. There is no cost to have a conversation, and we are glad to share what we know — whether or not you ultimately choose to work with us.