Personal Advocacy Support

We try to be flexible in assessing who may receive services and review each request on a case by case basis, we start with the following guidelines for eligibility:

• The person requesting advocacy has, or is the guardian of a person with, an intellectual or developmental disability
• The issue being addressed is not already being advocated for by another person or entity on behalf of the person

Although every person’s situation is unique, the basic steps of establishing and providing advocacy services with The Arc Oregon are:

1. Submit an application for support to The Arc Oregon.
2. The GAPS Program Director will review your application and contact you to discuss your request in greater detail. A staff member may contact you initially if we feel additional information is needed.
3. You will receive notice in writing of your application being approved or denied.
4. If approved, your personal advocate will contact you to schedule an initial meeting. At that meeting you will work together to develop and sign your personal advocacy agreement, and make plans to move forward with next steps to start addressing your needs.

Unlike guardianship or health care representation, The Arc Oregon’s role as an advocate is not legally binding, but rather an agreement between a person and The Arc Oregon. This agreement determines the scope of your personal advocate’s involvement in an issue you are dealing with, including specific such as the:

• Nature of advocacy support: in-person meetings, virtual meetings, phone calls, referrals
• Topic or issue being addressed: housing, employment, transportation, financial, support services, education, benefits, etc.
• Estimated length of time services will be provided
• People besides the recipient of advocacy services who will be involved
• Specific steps to be taken by The Arc Oregon advocate, the advocacy services recipient, and any others who are involved
• Cost of advocacy services to be provided

It depends.

Every person is different and every advocacy need is different. We will design an advocacy plan specific to you and your goals. It could last less than a week or it could go on several months depending on the complexity of the issue being addressed.

We prefer to tackle one need at a time. 

We are happy to help you determine a list of priorities and the work with you to address one at a time. Each new advocacy issue will require a new Advocacy Goal Agreement. You may also be assigned a different Advocate depending on the nature of each issue and the skills and experience of our advocates to best meet your needs for each agreement.

Advocacy services will be terminated when any of the following occur:

• Your advocacy goal is completed.
• You no longer want to receive advocacy services.
• Another person or entity establishes advocacy services for the same issue.
• It is determined we are not able to provide advocacy services for your particular issue.
• We lose contact with you or you are no longer meeting the requirements of the Advocacy Goal or fee agreements.
• You move out of Oregon.