Empowered Services is family-rooted, Oregon-grown, and built around real relationships — between the people we serve, the DSPs who support them, and the team that makes it all hold together. If person-centered work is your kind of work, this may be your kind of place.
Daily support works best when the person, caregiver, household rhythm, privacy needs, service plan, and work relationship fit together. These are the seven signals we use to guide a better match.
This is not a rigid checklist. It is a person-centered lens used to protect dignity, consistency, trust, and long-term fit for both the person supported and the provider doing the work.
1
Personality fit
Energy, temperament, pace, humor, and the kind of presence that helps the person feel safe.
2
Communication style
Verbal, visual, assistive, sensory-aware, direct, gentle, or step-by-step support preferences.
3
Support needs
Daily living, personal care, mobility, reminders, community access, meals, safety, and supervision.
4
Schedule rhythm
The real household pattern: mornings, evenings, appointments, routines, transitions, and consistency.
5
County & location
Local availability, travel distance, regional team connection, and practical coverage by county.
6
Language preference
English, Spanish, ASL, bilingual communication, and clear family-facing support.
7
ISP goals
The authorized goals and service plan outcomes that shape what support should accomplish.
Know before you apply
Two pay tracks. One shared standard.
DSP compensation has two tracks. The Empowered Choice Program (ECP) is a relationship pathway for trusted family, friends, and longtime supporters who already know the customer. ECP may include an authorized overtime lane at the entry step where the customer authorization, assignment, and agency approval support it. Standard DSP roles are matched through the agency’s standard hiring process. Final placement depends on role, customer authorization, schedule, training, and experience.
Relationship pathway
Empowered Choice Program (ECP)
$22–$25/hrbase
+ pre-approved OT at $33/hr where authorized
For trusted family members, friends, and longtime supporters who already know the customer. The $22 entry step may be paired with access to a pre-approved overtime lane where customer authorization, assignment needs, and agency approval support it — a structural design that can help ECP DSPs build meaningful weekly earnings while supporting someone they already know.
Base rate may progress beyond the entry step as training, authorization, and experience grow. Overtime eligibility is reassessed as the caregiver progresses and always depends on customer authorization, assignment needs, and agency approval.
Both tracks share: 24 hrs paid annual training, mileage reimbursement on approved community outings, monthly care-coordinator check-ins, and the referral bonus where eligible. Administrative and care coordination roles use different salary scales by role, scope, and experience, shared during the formal application process for each posted role. Benefits eligibility varies by role and employment status.
Family caregiver pathway
The Empowered Choice Program
In ECP, trusted family members or friends of individuals with IDD may be able to become employees with more structure and support to care for their loved one.
Agency structure and guidance
Paid training and onboarding
Payroll and compliance support
Formal backing for trusted care relationships
When a trusted caregiver is already identified, referral and ECP routing may help the right relationship move through the correct steps more efficiently. Eligibility and authorization requirements apply.
Open any panel below to read more about how we work and why people stay.
Person-centered careSix values in action — Integrity, Empathy, Synergy, Community, Advocacy, and Legacy — the why behind every choice we make.
Six values that guide every decision — and what they look like on a real day at Empowered Services.
Integrity
Clear communication, honest expectations, reliable documentation, and doing what we said we would do.
In a day
A DSP realizes she will run late once. She calls the family before the shift starts, reschedules the appointment they were heading to, and updates the documentation that same day.
Empathy
Listening with patience, adapting to communication style, and honoring what makes each person feel safe.
In a day
A DSP notices her customer is quieter than usual. She does not push. She offers a walk, plays the playlist she knows he likes, and asks gentle questions only when he is ready.
Synergy
Families, DSPs, ECP providers, coordinators, admin, and customer care working from the same playbook.
In a day
A morning text from the DSP, a midday update to the family, and an end-of-day note in the system mean everyone opens tomorrow knowing what mattered today.
Community
Belonging through events, local connection, shared resources, and matches that feel human.
In a day
A customer attends his first community art class. His DSP introduces him, helps him settle, then steps back so the room becomes his.
Advocacy
Standing beside customers, families, and providers so needs are heard and the right supports are pursued.
In a day
A family worries about a benefits change. The care coordinator calls ODDS, gets clarification in writing, and helps the family file the right form the same week.
Legacy
Planting seeds for independence, confidence, stronger families, and a future-ready Oregon support network.
In a day
A customer who once needed help opening mail now manages his own bills with weekly check-ins. The DSP did not do it for him. She taught him until she did not need to.
Growth pathFrom DSP to leadership — many coordinators started in direct support.
Many of our care coordinators and leaders started in direct support themselves. Advancement and succession planning are real here.
New DSP
Start your journey with paid training.
Experienced DSP
Build skill and confidence over time.
Mentor / Lead
Support and train others.
Care Coordinator
Coordinate support across the circle.
Operations / Leadership
Shape the future of the agency.
Real follow-through systemsTraining, check-ins, tools, and operating support that hold the work together.
24 hrs paid annual training
Safety, documentation, communication, and quality care.
Care coordinator check-ins
Monthly support for DSPs, customers, and families.
Clear systems
Handbooks, schedules, timesheets, and documentation tools.
Quarterly town halls
Transparent updates and shared direction.
Employee surveys
Your voice shapes continuous improvement.
Wellness program
Monthly drawing for self-care or wellness activity.
Belonging and cultureRecognition, events, appreciation, and the everyday practices that help people feel seen.
Birthdays and anniversaries
People are seen, remembered, and celebrated.
Owner appreciation
Christmas gift from the owner and team recognition.
Year-round events
Easter Egg Hunt, Summer Picnic, Pumpkin Patch, library activities, and sponsored Lego and movie nights.
IDD resources
Newsletters, activities, and resources for DSPs and families.
Statewide certified
Active local support in 11 Oregon counties with local connection preserved.
Founder-led story
Family-rooted, Oregon-grown, built around real relationships.
Relationship-first supportHow Empowered walks beside families, not just schedules services.
Direct support is the heart of the work, but families navigating Oregon’s IDD system need more than daily care. Empowered Services walks beside them through the meetings, transitions, and advocacy that shape long-term outcomes.
Documentation
Incident reporting
Timely, accurate, mandatory-reporter-compliant documentation that protects customers, supports families, and keeps care teams aligned.
Person-centered planning
ISP coordination
Working with families and ODDS service coordinators to keep ISPs current, accurate, and aligned with each customer’s real goals.
Assessment
ONA support
Helping families prepare for and navigate the Oregon Needs Assessment, with clear advance prep and follow-up afterward.
Life transitions
Children-to-adult services
Supporting families through one of the hardest transitions: aging out of school-based services into adult IDD supports.
Advocacy
Community advocacy
Standing alongside families when navigating benefits changes, system questions, or community access concerns.
Family-rooted support circleThe person served stays at the center while families, DSPs, coordinators, and systems stay aligned.
Great IDD support happens when each part of the system knows its role, communicates with care, and keeps the person served at the center.
Families we serve
Routines, goals, trust, and real-life context.
Providers — DSP / ECP
Compassion in action through daily support.
Care coordinators
Monthly check-ins, problem-solving, and follow-through.
Admin & customer care
Scheduling, onboarding, documentation, and responsive support.
Resources & events
Newsletters, IDD resources, library events, and community connection.
Operational systems
Policies, procedures, handbooks, training, surveys, and improvement.
Your next stepsChoose the right action for your role: intake, DSP interest, open roles, or referral.
Four ways to connect with us. Pick the one that fits where you are right now.
Community. Culture. Competitive pay. Commitment. Clear systems, real support, strong matching, and work that means something every day.
Swipe the pillars
CommunityStatewide certified, locally rootedActive in 11 Oregon counties with year-round events, library activities, and IDD resources for DSPs and families.
CulturePeople are seen and celebratedBirthdays, anniversaries, town halls, owner appreciation, employee surveys, and recognition that’s consistent year-round.
Competitive payTwo tracks, shared standardECP starts at $22, with OT at $33/hr where authorized and reassessed as the caregiver progresses. Standard DSP $23 entry / $24 experienced / $25 specialty. 24 hrs paid annual training.
CommitmentMore than a paycheckMake a real difference every day. Long-term relationships with the people we serve, and real career growth for the people doing the work. Many of our coordinators and leaders started in direct support themselves.
Strong customer–caregiver matching
Care coordinator check-ins
Clear policies & handbooks
Retention & loyalty culture
Happy, healthy work culture
Questions
What people ask before applying.
Do I need prior DSP experience?
Experience helps, but reliability, compassion, safety awareness, and willingness to learn matter most. Paid training and onboarding are part of the process.
What counties do you serve?
Active support in Washington, Multnomah, Clackamas, Yamhill, Polk, Marion, Benton, Linn, Lane, Clatsop, and Columbia. Empowered Services is statewide certified and welcomes inquiries from all 36 Oregon counties.
Can family members become employees?
Through the Empowered Choice Program, eligible trusted family members or friends may become employees with training, structure, payroll support, and formal agency backing. Eligibility and authorization requirements apply.
Do I need a driver’s license or reliable transportation?
Many DSP roles include community access, appointments, or errands with the person served, so a valid driver’s license and reliable transportation are commonly required. The specific requirement is confirmed during follow-up based on the assignment.
What does the background check involve?
Oregon DSP positions require a state background check through the Background Check Unit before starting work. Empowered Services walks new hires through fingerprinting, documentation, and onboarding.
Should I use Careers or DSP Interest?
Use Careers if you are ready to apply for a specific opening. Use DSP Interest if you want to share your fit, county, and availability before or alongside a formal role.
Ready to make a difference?
Empowered Services is always looking for great-fit people who care deeply, follow through, and believe the right relationship changes everything.
