The Staley Agreement settled a Federal class action lawsuit filed in 2000 by Medicaid-eligible adults with developmental
disabilities who had spent years on long wait lists for services. The agreement was reached on September 11th, 2000 and the court approved it on December 14th of the same year. Initial estimates for people eligible for services was 5,100 adult Oregonians with developmental disabilities.
Within 60 days of the agreement, the Department of Human Services agreed to:
- Request initial start-up funds from the Emergency Board to create programs to meet the demand
- Request funding be built into the Governor's 2001-2003 budget to finance the program(s)
The State of Oregon decided the best means to meeting their terms of the agreement ("universal access to support services for all eligible individuals") was to create what is known as Support Services Brokerages. These are private organizations (non-profit and for-profit) who contract with the State of Oregon to provide timely, quality services to individuals waiting for services.
In addition to those identified as eligible for Support Services through a brokerage, the agreement allowed for 300 individuals to receive non-Crisis comprehensive (24/7) services.
The agreement was modified in 2003. The reason for the change in the agreement, per the modification document: "state revenue has dropped sharply since the parties entered into the Staley Settlement Agreement, resulting in widespread cuts of unprecedented severity in numerous agency budgets, including that of the Department of Human Services, and it further appearing likely that the State’s fiscal crisis will continue for some time to come". At that point, there was a significant decrease in the number of enrollments, but customers already receiving services continued to receive them. "In light of the State’s severe and continuing budget crisis, the parties agree that it is necessary and appropriate to change the pace at which additional eligible individuals are enrolled under the Staley Settlement Agreement while maintaining the Support Service brokerage contracts and continuing to provide services to individuals previously enrolled under the Staley Settlement Agreement."
The change in the agreement created the following schedule of enrollments, valid to this day:
- By June 30, 2003 - no less than 3,122 individuals receiving services
- By June 30, 2005, no less than 4,122 individuals receiving services
- By June 30, 2007, no less than 5,122 individuals receiving services
- By June 30, 2009, all eligible individuals should be enrolled to receive services (est. 5,392)
No additional changes in the enrollment schedule is expected at present.
Please see the links to your right for additional resources regarding the settlement that started Brokerage services in Oregon and has altered the way services are delivered statewide.
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