UCP News

Advocacy Days 2020

2/14/2020

UCP Oregon believes that everyone should have a voice.

That's why this year, like every year, we supported lots of UCP customers as they attended the"GO Project Advocacy Days" in Salem.

Our customers advocated for their needs, and met and worked with folks from other Oregon organizations such as Oregon Developmental Disabilities Coalition and Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities.

Thank you to everyone who was involved!

Congrats to Linda

2/13/2020

Congratulations to a UCP customer, Linda Akagi! Linda was accepted for her first research publication--Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and Artificial Intelligence!

Linda Akagi, B.S., is a research assistant in the at the PSU Universal Design Lab, and experiences cerebral palsy and complex communication needs. Linda leads the AAC Design Council, a forum for people with complex communication needs to influence the direction of AAC technology and research. She is dedicated to helping serve children, teenagers, and adults obtain AAC systems and be inspired to change people’s expectations.

PS: Kudos, too, to Linda's UCP Employment Specialist (Alex Raines of UCP Oregon’s Employment Solutions), who assisted Linda to get her job at PSU.

UCP Is Pleased to Partner with Rock Creek Mortage

1/5/2020

Having a child or an adult with a disability sometimes means financial resources are prioritized to support that individual.

Rock Creek Mortgage, a division of Directors Mortgage, believes that buying or refinancing a home shouldn’t be an additional burden.

For employees of UCP Oregon and the community it serves, Rock Creek Mortgage is waiving all its fees by offering a $2,000 Lender credit in order to reduce what can be a troublesome cost. (NMLS 1889183)

As Eric says, “Local accountability matters! We want to do what we can, when we can, to make buying and refinancing less of a burden.”

Here's how it works:

Visit Rock Creek Mortgage's website, and contact Eric Simantel directly.
Let him know you are a part of the UCP Oregon family.

Fine Print: Information deemed reliable, but subject to change without notice. Qualifying buyers only, subject to credit approval. This is not a commitment to lend. Consumer Loan License NMLS 3240, CL 3240.

Meet Bonnie: A BPMF Recipient

12/31/2019

UCP Oregon launched the Bill Porter Memorial Fund in 2018 in an effort to remove barriers and support meaningful lives for people experiencing disabilities.

In 2019, the Fund accepted its first round of applicants.

Meet Bonnie, one of the first recipients!

Bonnie is a teen who wanted more privacy and independence; she requested an attachment for the commode. As she said, “I have to have someone help me in the bathroom. I just turned 15 and this is embarrassing to me.”

Nowadays, though, it’s a very different story; as Bonnie’s mom says, “Bonnie smiles as she shuts the door to use the bathroom on her own.”

Want even more? You can read more BMPF stories here and here.

Meet Some of the First Bill Porter Fund Recipients

12/22/2019

Julie’s two-year old daughter has cerebral palsy; she’ll be using BPMF funds to purchase a scoot bike. As Julie says, “This style of balance bike helps children learn how to balance, a skill which can present an extra challenge to children with cerebral palsy. This purchase would allow our girl to take an active role in family bike rides.”
Jane is using BPMF funds to pay for twelve sessions of “NeuroMovement” therapy for her son, Luke. Luke first walked on his own at age twelve, and a mere month later, had already figured out how to dance independently. Luke recently became one of three teens with exceptional disabilities to be hired at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
I’Yanna is using her BPMF funds to travel, specifically to reconnect with family and friends who reside in Los Angeles, California. Some of them she’s never even been able to meet!
Andrew experiences severe anxiety and panic attacks which are triggered by loud noises and environments. He requested noise canceling headphones, which will allow him to cope better with his panic attacks and to engage in community activities that he typically has to remove himself from.
David has autism. He is using his BPMF funds for books and tuition for up to eight credit hours at a local community college. His ultimate goal is to finish his secondary education, and work with a technology firm to develop better prosthetic devices.

IN HONOR OF JERRY

11/19/2019

As you may know, a beloved member of the UCP community, Jerry Pattee, passed away earlier this year.

Jerry was a longtime UCP board member, but he was also tremendously active in the larger disabilities community. Jerry volunteered for the OHSU University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD), serving on their on the advisory board for nearly thirteen years. He mentored many junior board members and advised on a number of projects and programs over the years.

Six years ago, Jerry was instrumental in creating an OHSU program that focuses on spirituality, health and sibling relationships for people who have disabilities. Since then, the project has assisted thousands of Oregonians with disabilities.

In his honor, the OHSU board has decided to rename the project the "Jerry Pattee Community Engagement Grant Program."

You can learn more about the program here.

CELEBRATING SARAH

11/19/2019

Congratulations to UCP Connections Director (Sarah Noack)!

She recently accepted a role as the Vice President of the Oregon Support Services Association (OSSA).

Read all about it here!

HELPFUL LINK: Oregon Needs Assessment

11/19/2019

The world of disabilities funding can be confusing!

That’s why we’d like to share a link to a really helpful summary about the upcoming Oregon Needs Assessment (ONA). The ONA will affect everyone who qualifies for developmental disability services in Oregon who chooses to receive services from the Community First Choice (K) Plan.

Thanks to The Oregon Support Services Association for creating and sharing the summary.

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Meet Our New Children's Services Manager

11/18/2019

UCP Oregon is pleased to introduce you to our new Children's Services Manager, Beth Villard!

Beth has a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology, and has spent most of her career working with children with mental health diagnoses and their families. Many of these children have been dually diagnosed with an Intellectual/Developmental Disorder.

Beth says, "I’m really excited to be here and look forward to supporting the Building Blocks team and the customers and families that we work with."

We're excited to have you here, too, Beth!

Want to learn more about Children’s Services (Building Blocks)? Click here.

<<Previous

Advocacy Days 2020

Congrats to Linda

UCP Is Pleased to Partner with Rock Creek Mortage

Meet Bonnie: A BPMF Recipient

More Stories from the Bill Porter Fund

Meet Some of the First Bill Porter Fund Recipients

IN HONOR OF JERRY

CELEBRATING SARAH

HELPFUL LINK: Oregon Needs Assessment

Meet Our New Children's Services Manager

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