The Empowered Choice Program
Already have someone you trust? Empowered Choice helps eligible Oregonians explore bringing a trusted family member, friend, neighbor, or longtime supporter into authorized IDD services as an employed Direct Support Professional—with agency-side hiring, payroll, training support, supervision, and compliance systems.
Solicitar apoyo en españolStart with the person receiving support. Customer Intake opens the ECP service path. The chosen caregiver may submit DSP Interest in parallel, but it does not replace Customer Intake.
What it is
The pathway remains subject to Oregon IDD eligibility and authorization, relationship and household rules, caregiver employment requirements, county availability, and agency capacity.
Two connected paths
Empowered Choice works best when the service side and employment side move together—with the customer’s choice at the center.
01
Complete Customer Intake to document the person, county, current IDD-service status, support needs, and chosen caregiver. The customer, guardian, family member, caregiver and customer together, or case manager may complete it.
Start ECP intake02
Submit DSP Interest while Customer Intake is being reviewed. Formal application, references, background check, hiring, and training follow only if the ECP pathway can move forward.
Submit DSP InterestCustomer Intake is the primary ECP step. DSP Interest begins the employment-side conversation; it does not authorize services or guarantee employment.
How it works
You choose the relationship. Empowered Services and the case-management team review the service path, employment requirements, and what must be in place before paid support begins.
1
Name the trusted adult you would like considered as your Direct Support Professional and share the relationship and household arrangement during intake.
2
We review existing ODDS and case-management status, authorization, county availability, relationship rules, and agency fit—coordinating with the Service Coordinator or Personal Agent as needed.
3
The caregiver completes the formal employment process, applicable state background check, required pre-service and person-specific training, and documentation expectations. We guide each step.
4
After service, employment, training, and start requirements are complete, the caregiver may begin paid authorized work as an employed DSP—with agency supervision and ongoing coordination.
Why families choose it
Choice does not skip safeguards. We still review role fit, support needs, communication, safety, household factors, and what will help the relationship last. Learn about the Empowered Match Method™.
“I have experience both as the parent of a young adult with autism receiving services, and as a DSP for my son. They guided me through training, always available for support—I truly feel like part of a wonderful family.”
Founded on relationships
That belief shapes how we onboard caregivers, coordinate with case-management teams, and stay involved after support begins. Empowered Choice is that relationship-first approach in action.
Read our storyQuestions, answered
Clear answers before you share personal details or begin the employment process.
Many trusted adults may be considered, including relatives, friends, neighbors, or other longtime supporters, as long as they can meet DSP employment and service requirements. Under current Oregon rules for agency-delivered community living supports, an agency may not employ a person to provide these services to their spouse. A parent—including a legal guardian under ODDS definitions—may provide paid attendant care to their minor child only when the child is enrolled in the Children’s Extraordinary Needs Program and other program conditions are met. Other household, authorization, and conflict-of-interest rules may apply, so we review the specific situation with the case-management team.
Empowered Choice may fit a person who is eligible for Oregon IDD services, has authorized agency-delivered attendant care or is working with their case-management team on authorization, and has chosen a caregiver who can meet employment and DSP requirements. Eligibility and service hours are determined through the appropriate ODDS, CDDP, or brokerage process—not by Empowered Services. We review agency fit, county availability, and the steps needed to begin.
Once hired and approved to begin, the caregiver is an employee of Empowered Services and is paid for authorized work. The caregiver completes the applicable state background check, required pre-service and person-specific training, and service documentation. Empowered provides payroll, supervision, training support, and agency compliance systems.
Sometimes. Living in the same household can affect how the role is reviewed, authorized, and set up. Share the household arrangement during intake so Empowered Services and the case-management team can explain what applies.
Empowered Services does not currently offer private-pay services. For eligible people, approved services are funded through Oregon’s IDD system. Authorization, program requirements, county availability, and agency capacity apply. There is no charge to ask a question or submit Customer Intake.
No. The chosen person must meet employment, background-check, training, relationship, and service requirements, and services must be authorized and available. We explain barriers as early as possible and help identify the next appropriate path.
The customer, guardian, family member, caregiver and customer together, or case manager may begin Customer Intake and select the Empowered Choice Program. The chosen caregiver may also submit DSP Interest, but Customer Intake is the step that opens the ECP service path. A Care Coordinator typically follows up within 1–2 business days.
Program rules can change, and each authorization is individual. Review the current Oregon community living supports rules and Children’s Extraordinary Needs Program, or ask our team to explain what applies.
Ready when you are
Start with Customer Intake. You do not need every answer before you begin—tell us who needs support, where they live, and who they would like considered as their caregiver.
Customer Intake opens the ECP service path. DSP Interest may be completed in parallel. Neither submission guarantees authorization, service availability, or employment.
Use Customer Intake for personal service details. Avoid sending sensitive medical, Medicaid, financial, or customer-specific information through ordinary email or text. Privacy policy.
