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Deschutes County Disability Support Services

ALSO (Advocates for Life Skills and Opportunity) is a nonprofit provider of disability support services for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). We are active partners in serving the needs of several counties throughout the State of Oregon, including Deschutes County.


One of the youngest and most rapidly growing counties in Oregon in recent decades, Deschutes includes these cities:

Bend

Redmond

LaPine

Sisters

Alfalfa

Deschutes is also home to several unincorporated communities:

Brothers

Cloverdale

Hampton

Millican

Plainview

If you or a loved one lives in this Central Oregon county and has an intellectual or developmental disability, we would be honored to be your service provider.

 

Our Mission

We are passionately dedicated to the ALSO Mission:

To promote the full inclusion of people experiencing disabilities in the life of their community.

We excel in this mission by providing high quality person-centered services that follow each of our Core Values:

  • Trust – Fostering a safe and kind environment.
  • Teamwork – Working in unison to unleash the power and potential of each other and those we support.
  • Innovation – Embracing new ways of doing and thinking.
  • Dignity – Defending each person’s ability to direct their own thoughts, feelings, and actions.
  • Respect – Demonstrating positive regard for everyone.
  • Accountability – Owning our actions and delivering results. 
  • Humility — We acknowledge that we are part of something larger than ourselves, learning from one another, and growing together with gratitude.
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The History of ALSO

Disability Support Services Offered

Supported Employment

Deschutes County fully embraces Oregon’s Employment First policy and philosophy. It’s based on the principle that working-age children and adults with I/DD can achieve competitive employment in settings that are fully integrated into the community.

ALSO is undeniably a leader in facilitating job opportunities for persons with disabilities. Our individualized employment approach offers collaborative partnerships between the people we support, job coaches, employment leads, and employers. The result is true community inclusion: A win-win for everyone!

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Creating Meaningful and Inclusive Workplaces

A DSP worker high fives a developmentally disabled man in a wheelchair on the deck of a home.

In-Home Supports

These are individualized disability support services provided in the home setting for children and adults. Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) help those with developmental or intellectual disabilities to become as independent as possible in the least restrictive environment. Just a few examples of the skills and abilities we assist with are:

  • Self-care
  • Community mobility
  • Education and study skills
  • Recreational pursuits

When it comes to assisting people with achieving their best possible selves and realizing their dreams, the DSPs and advocates at ALSO are there to do whatever it takes with teamwork, innovation, and most of all, respect.

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Helping Your Family Thrive with Support Services for Children

Residential Living

The DSPs at ALSO provide wrap-around residential services to the people that they support. Innovation and a person-centered focus are essential when it comes to creating opportunities for self-empowerment and goal-setting.

We go far beyond services and training in self-care, meal preparation, and home management. We skillfully facilitate fulfilling connections with roommates, work associates, and community members.

Social Security Advocacy

When it comes to establishing eligibility under Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), it’s understandably difficult to navigate through the labyrinth of complex regulations to ensure that all-important financial support.

Feel free to give ALSO’s Social Security and Disability Advocate Francine Marsh a call. She’ll be happy to help! (541) 678-0343

County Resources

Legal Services

Disability Rights Oregon (DRO) is a non-profit advocacy organization serving Oregonians with disabilities since 1977. DRO envisions a world in which people with disabilities truly belong. They are dedicated to the following:

  • Equality of opportunity
  • Access to full participation
  • The ability to exercise meaningful choice

Contact Information: Go to Request Help

Deschutes County I/DD Services

Eligible Deschutes County Oregonians can benefit from several types of programming, including:

  • General case management (adults and children).
  • Community First Choice State Plan (K-Plan) for home and community-based services.
  • Adult foster homecare

Contact Information: (541) 322-7554

Vocational Rehabilitation Information

Vocational rehabilitation (VR) services help people with many types of disabilities prepare for, get, and keep jobs. 

Contact the VR office nearest you by using the Office Locator.

Full Access High Desert

This organization provides self-directed, person-centered case management services. They also assist in navigating state and federal funding sources.

Contact Information: Send a message or call the Bend office at (541) 749-2158.

Contact ALSO for Disability Support Services You Can Rely On

Whether it’s disability employment services, in-home supports, residential services, or social security advocacy, every ALSO employee is fully dedicated to the full community inclusion of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

We’re strong believers in the value of choice. Therefore, we encourage, motivate, and help those we support in their own unique journey. The results are amazing: self-empowerment, self-sufficiency, and belonging.

Shoot us an email: centraloregon@alsoweb.org
Give us a call: (541) 410-0317

Schedule a virtual tour today to get to know us! Email sarah.cinquini@alsoweb.org or call (503) 753-1239

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