Blog Archives

UCP Oregon: COVID-19 Response Update

3/17/2020

FROM THE DESK OF ANN COFFEY,
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF UCP OREGON

Dear customers, family members, providers, and community partners,

I want to update you about how UCP Oregon is navigating the impact of COVID-19. We are taking into consideration the variety of risks and support needs of the 500+ people we support; their families; and their service providers (including 200+ UCP Oregon employees).

We are here and accessible, but we’re shifting how we engage with the people we support in an effort to protect those who are at high risk of contracting COVID-19.

The following strategies are in place, effective immediately until further notice:

We are limiting face-to-face contact to essential meetings and services. Critical in-person supports will continue.
Whenever possible, our staff are working remotely. As appropriate, they will be coordinating services via phone or video conferencing. Employees will also be checking emails, voicemails and other communication options they utilize.
Our office is now open to visitors by appointment only.
The Front Desk has limited hours (Monday to Friday, 10am to 3pm). When you call the Front Desk (503-777-4166), any updates in Front Desk hours will be listed in the outgoing voicemail message.
On an on-going basis, the appropriate UCP Oregon employees are reviewing individual support plans, safety plans, high risk individuals, and other necessary considerations related to staffing and essential direct service delivery. We will continually evaluate the need to implement different strategies, and will adapt as needed.

A Note for Customers and Families:

When a member of your UCP Oregon support team is ill or unable to respond due to unexpected time off, someone will be available to assist you.
In some service departments, you will be directly contacted about staffing alterations or discontinuation of non-essential services.
For others who typically receive non face-to-face supports from UCP Oregon, you will be notified or instructed about what to do if your primary support person is not able to attend work due to illness or caring for another individual. You can expect to receive instructions via the methods you are already familiar with (e.g. phone, email, text, snail mail, etc.)

Figuring out how to take care of yourself and your loved ones can cause fear, anxiety, and stress. Breathe deep, ask for support, make a contingency plan, and check in with yourself and others.

Don’t hesitate to reach out for help. If you—whether you are a customer, a family member, or an employee—feel like you need additional support during the next few weeks, please reach out to your personal agent, case manager, supervisor, department director, or UCP’s Executive Director.

And, finally, don’t forget the basics! Wash your hands. Maintain a 6’ perimeter. Cover your cough. Take care of each other. We are all in this together--we will get through this!

Sincerely,

Ann Coffey
UCP Oregon Executive Director

Resources:

Announcing "Bill Porter" Porter!

3/13/2020

$1 of every pint you drink at Deschutes Brewing on Tuesdays in April will go to UCP Oregon.

Find Out More

Guess what! UCP Oregon is about to have its own speciality beer at Deschutes Brewing! The beer will be known as "Bill Porter Porter" in honor of UCP's Bill Porter Memorial Fund (and the late, great Bill Porter himself, of course!)

Bill Porter was an Oregonian who experienced cerebral palsy. He was not defined by his disability or diagnosis, but instead by his incredible achievements while employed as a door-to-door salesperson for Watkins Products.

Bill became their top seller and worked for over forty years. His story was made known through articles in the Oregonian, a segment on the ABC news program 20/20, and the award winning movie, Door to Door, starring William H. Macy. Porter passed in 2013.

UCP honors Bill Porter with our Bill Porter Memorial Fund, which removes barriers and support meaningful lives for our customers.

Community Pints Fundraiser at Deschutes

3/13/2020

Who's ready to raise a pint for UCP?

Every Tuesday during the month of April, $1 per pint sold at Deschutes Portland Public House will be donated to UCP Oregon.

In addition, Deschutes is working with UCP Oregon to brew a specialty beer honoring the late Bill Porter, known by unintentionally challenging misperceptions about cerebral palsy in pursuit of employment and independence.

Learn More

Conference Keynote Speaker Announced

3/12/2020

We're excited to announce the Keynote Speaker for the 2020 UCP Family Conference.

Steve Ferreira was born in Taipei, Taiwan in 1988. He was the second born of twins and due to birth trauma he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy shortly after birth. He and his twin sister, Emily, were adopted and they moved with their family to the Seattle area in 1990.

In 2013, Steve, in continuing his advocacy for people with disabilities, was elected to the Board of Directors of the Arc of King County. The Arc was founded in 1936 and is the oldest non-profit organization serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the Greater Puget Sound area and throughout the United States.

Steve spoke over 500 times at regional high schools, colleges, churches, Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs, graduations and numerous other venues. In November of 2011, Steve decided to form Beyond Disabilities, a nonprofit, with the mission “to inform individuals and communities around the world that if you are disabled, you are just like everyone else… just living life in a different way.”

Learn More About the Conference

Save the Date for the 2020 Family Conference

3/10/2020

October 16-17, 2020
Registration opens March 28th

Are you saving the date for the 2020 UCP Family Conference?

UCP’s Family Support Conference brings together families who are raising children with a disability, adults experiencing disabilities, as well as the medical, therapeutic, and educational professionals who work with them. This is the only conference of its kind in the Northwest.

The two-day gathering includes workshops and speakers that focus on new research in the area of intellectual and developmental disabilities, new surgical and therapeutic techniques, as well as alternative therapies and educational innovations.

The 250 plus attendees have the opportunity to visit vendors presenting services, resources and equipment.

Learn More

UCP Customer Featured on KGW

3/4/2020

A UCP customer, Alex, recently appeared on KGW.

Alex worked with Julie Guzman, an Employment Specialist with UCP's Employment Solutions, to get a job at Parr lumber. As Julie says, “Work is so much more than a paycheck. It's the ability to be socially active, to meet new people, to build friendships, to grow."

Alex experiences Fragile X Syndrome, but doesn't let it hold him back. As Julie says, "Alex is just an amazing guy. He has significant challenges, but he is so resilient, and he just overcomes them with his personality, with his enthusiasm and he is one of the hardest workers I know."

Chris Hansen, the Parr district manager, says that he doesn't know who "gained more from the experience, my guys or Alex, or myself. It was just completely a good experience all around.”

Watch the KGW Video

Learn More About Employment Solutions at UCP

March at UCP

3/2/2020

Did you know that March is “Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month”?

It’s also “Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month."

At UCP, we'll be spending the month celebrating the many ways people with (and without) disabilities come together to form strong, diverse communities.

What are you doing this month to make a difference?