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Empowered ServicesAn Everyday Note on CareVol. 05 · August 31, 2026
I.Team Wellness

Strong support begins with a team that is supported too.

Wellness is not an extra — it is how we protect steady, compassionate, person-centered support for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). And it includes the people behind that support too.

Skip ahead to this month's winner ↓
36

Statewide certified across all 36 Oregon counties. Every DSP and ECP provider is invited to the monthly self-care entry.

Mount Hood reflected in Trillium Lake at sunrise, framed by Douglas fir trees
Mount Hood and Trillium Lake — a quiet Oregon reset.
II.A Letter

Caregiving — in every form — asks something steady from the people who do it. Routines, presence, communication, problem-solving, emotional care, and the quiet work of showing up again and again.

That work happens at the front line of support, and it happens in the offices, on the phone calls, and in the planning that surrounds it. None of it can be sustained alone, and none of it should have to be.

Each month, every DSP and ECP provider is invited to share a single privacy-safe self-care activity — a walk, a quiet moment, a hobby, a boundary, a breath — and is entered into a wellness gift drawing. The activity matters more than the gift. The reminder matters most of all.

With care for the team behind the team,Empowered Services
Burnout prevention protects people — relationships, routines, and the team itself.Why this matters
III.Why It Matters

Fatigue builds quietly.

DSP burnout is real — caregivers need care too, through both self-care and community care. It can look like exhaustion, emotional overload, irritability, isolation, or missed routines. Encouraging wellness helps the whole team remain present, consistent, and compassionate.

i.

For DSPs

Direct Support Professionals provide practical, relational, and emotional support. Wellness protects patience, consistency, and care quality.

ii.

For ECP Providers

Family and friend caregivers support someone within the rhythms of home life. Self-care helps prevent the role from becoming isolating.

iii.

For Individuals & Families

When caregivers are supported, individuals with IDD benefit from steadier routines, safer relationships, and stronger trust over time.

iv.

For Admin & Care Team

Coordination, hiring, scheduling, and follow-through all carry weight. Wellness protects clarity, compassion, and sustainable leadership.

Read: Beyond Burnout — how we support DSPs, families, and staff →
IV.For ECP & Live-In Caregivers

When you live with the person you support.

For Empowered Choice Program providers — often a family member or friend caring for a loved one at home — the role rarely clocks out. When care and home life share the same walls, burnout can build fastest. Protecting your own wellness isn't stepping back from care; it's what keeps your care steady for the long run.

Practical ways to protect yourself
  • 1Reduce overtime where you can. Long, unbroken stretches are the fastest route to exhaustion — protect some hours that are yours.
  • 2Reach out to your Care Team. You don't have to carry it alone — ask about additional support before you're running on empty.
  • 3Ask your caseworker about respite hours. Respite care can be built into the ISP — those hours exist so you can rest and recover.
  • 4Take your vacation. Time away is not a luxury — it's part of sustaining the care you give.
  • 5Take a clarity break. Step outside, breathe, and reset — even a few minutes helps you return more present.
  • 6Set a self-care intention. Make your own wellness a priority, not an afterthought — it's the foundation everything else rests on.
Reach your Care Team →
V.Four Simple Pillars

Self-care doesn't have to be complicated to count.

The best wellness activity is one a person can actually repeat. Small, sustainable choices restore energy and make support work last.

No. 1 · Body

Physical Reset

Walking, stretching, hydration, rest, meal prep, breathing, sleep, movement, or time away from screens.

No. 2 · Mind

Emotional Support

Journaling, counseling, boundaries, asking for help, reducing overload, or a quiet pause after a hard day.

No. 3 · Life

Connection & Renewal

Family time, faith practices, hobbies, community, creativity, gratitude, or anything that helps a person feel restored.

No. 4 · Team

Workplace Sustainability

Clear communication, realistic boundaries, taking breaks, celebrating progress, protecting healthy team rhythms.

VI.A Field Guide

Use what's already yours.

For families and ECP providers, wellness is built into the ISP. For Empowered Services team members, it's built into the benefits package. Here's how to use it.

For Families & ECP Providers

Use the support already in your plan.

i.
Activate respite care.

If respite is approved in the ISP, use it — it protects the long-term sustainability of caregiving, not a last resort when you're empty.

ii.
Trade overtime for rest.

Ask your Care Team to schedule another provider so you can take time back. Coverage exists for this reason.

iii.
Reach your Care Team early.

Adjusting the schedule before fatigue compounds is what coordination is for. Don't wait for a crisis.

For Care Team & Caregivers

Use the benefits already on the table.

i.
Take your PTO.

Paid time off is part of your compensation — not a reward to save up. Rest is a tool, not a treat.

ii.
Ask about EAP & supports.

Eligible team members may have access to an Employee Assistance Program and other benefits. Many people never check what's available.

iii.
Protect your work–life rhythm.

Boundaries between shifts and personal time are how the work lasts. Maintain them like the equipment they are.

An Interlude
Mount Hood reflected in Trillium Lake at sunrise, framed by Douglas fir trees
When the team is steady, the people they support feel it — in calmer days, safer routines, and stronger trust.What the work is for
VII.The Monthly Rhythm

One small entry. One quiet reminder.

Intentionally simple, so DSPs and ECP providers can take part without adding another complicated task to their month.

i

Practice self-care

Choose one activity that supports your rest, relationships, emotional health, work rhythm, or physical wellbeing.

ii

Share your entry

Submit through the contact form by choosing "wellness entry," or follow the internal instructions from your Care Team.

iii

Enter the drawing

Your entry is added to the monthly wellness gift drawing — a small thank-you for showing up well.

iv

Celebrate together

Winners are announced live on Facebook and may be featured in a community wellness video with permission.

VIII.House Rules

Share your wellness — not private information.

Entries should be simple, encouraging, and focused on the participant's own self-care. No protected, identifying, medical, employment, or service-related information.

Yes

Share your own wellness activity — walking, rest, counseling, prayer, hobbies, movement, family time, or asking for support.

Yes

Keep the entry focused on your wellbeing — not on a customer, coworker, family, incident, or service situation.

No

Don't include customer or coworker names, photos of customers, medical details, service-plan details, private family information, or identifying information.

Ask

Only share photos or video with clear permission and appropriate content. When in doubt, submit a simple written entry, or ask before submitting.

This form is not an emergency, HR, payroll, scheduling, or incident-reporting channel.

For any urgent safety issue, care concern, schedule issue, incident, payroll, or HR need, please use the normal Empowered Services communication and escalation process. The wellness entry is only for the monthly self-care drawing.

IX.The Archive

Wellness Winner Spotlight.

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August2026

Practicing what we support

August’s wellness gift included a heated massage gun, water bottle, wellness book, and Liquid I.V.—practical tools for recovery, hydration, and rest. Congratulations to our August winner!

Read August transcript +

Dylan: Hi everyone, my name is Dylan. I'm the CEO of Empowered Services, and this is —

Sandi: I'm Sandi, COO of Empowered Services. Dylan, how do you take care of yourself?

Dylan: Two different ways, actually. Through the week it's decompressing at the gym after work. Then on the weekends my wife and I like to get out into nature — our favorite game is going on long drives through the mountains, trying to get lost and work our way back out. What about you?

Sandi: I have four rescue dogs, so I spend time with my dogs. It's pure love, and they're always happy to see me no matter what mood I'm in. That's what I love to do.

Dylan: All right — it's the August giveaway. Everyone who entered is in the drawing. We send it out each month, and you can win prizes.

Sandi: Here's what we're giving: a basket with a water bottle, a heated massage gun, this book — how cute is that? — and some Liquid IV.

Dylan: Shall we get to it? Who's our winner this month?

Sandi: Drum roll, please. Our winner is — your Care Team will be getting hold of you soon to get this delivered. Congratulations!

Sandra, a Care Manager at Empowered Services, holding the July wellness gift — a customizable foam roller and a sport shaker bottle filled with Liquid IV sticks.
July2026

Rest and recovery

Congratulations to July wellness winner Philip W. His gift was created around his interest in working out: a foam roller, shaker bottle, pre-workout, Liquid I.V., and energy gels.

Read July recap +

Sandra, Care Manager: Thank you to everyone who took a moment for themselves this month and told us about it. Rest, movement, time outdoors, time with people you love — it all counts.

July’s gift was created around Philip’s interest in working out: a foam roller, a shaker bottle, pre-workout, Liquid I.V., and energy gels.

Our July winner is Philip W.. Congratulations! Your Care Team will reach out soon to arrange delivery. We look forward to your entries next month.

June2026

A team that is supported too

Another month of self-care and sustainable support across the team. Congratulations to our winner, Hilda S.!

Read June transcript +

Sandy: Welcome, Empowered Services. We're here to give away our June wellness basket. There were so many entries, and we were so excited to receive them all. I'm Sandy, COO here at Empowered Services.

Melissa: And I'm Melissa, recruiting and HR specialist.

Sandy: She's new, and she's fantastic — make sure you say hello next time you see her. Some of the things our providers did to take care of themselves: Susan spent extra time out in the sunshine, Tara slept in one day as long as she wanted, and Hilda spent some extra special time with her family. These are great recommendations — these are my people.

Let's talk about what's in the basket: a cooler with a matching water bottle to stay hydrated, some Liquid IV, a travel first-aid kit, a cooling towel, everybody's favorite freezer pops, and a handheld fan.

And the winner of the June wellness basket is Hilda S. — congratulations, Hilda! Your Care Team will be in touch soon to arrange getting you your basket.

May2026

Wellness in motion

Another month of self-care, encouragement, and sustainable support across the Empowered Services team.

Read May transcript +

Melissa: Hi everybody. I'm Melissa, a matching specialist here at Empowered Services.

Yesenia: I'm Yesenia, our compliance specialist. You've been working on self-care every month and telling us what you've been doing — writing a book, paying off debt, walking with your kids, massages, physical therapy, resting.

Today we present one of our providers with what they won: a self-care journal and two Dutch Bros gift cards. The winner is Jessica D. Congratulations — and we look forward to your entries for June.

April2026

A community of care

Celebrating self-care, encouragement, and sustainable support across the Empowered Services team.

Read April transcript +

Ruth: Hello from Empowered Services. I'm Ruth, Care Team for Multnomah, Columbia, and Clatsop, and this is Jeanette.

Jeanette: I'm the Billing and Spanish Community Manager.

Ruth: We're announcing the April wellness winner — a $25 Barnes & Noble gift card. Our winner is Maria S. Congratulations! Your Care Team will reach out with details. Thank you all for participating.

March2026

Showing up well

Honoring the people who continue to show up with compassion, care, and commitment.

Read March transcript +

This month we started wellness check-ins with all our providers — a chance to show appreciation and promote health. Look out for a survey from your Care Team about stress levels and self-care.

Our March winner is Mary S., who took time to jog, be outdoors, and be in tune with herself. She won a movie basket — a blanket, a Regal gift card, sparkling waters, popcorn, and chocolate. Congratulations, Mary, and thank you for all you do.

A 60-second tool

Need to reach your Care Team?

Whether you're a team member, a family, or exploring services, our quiz routes you to the right person on your Empowered Services Care Team in under a minute.

Take the Quiz →
Read next

Beyond Burnout — how we support DSPs, families & staff

Caregiver burnout isn't inevitable — it's a predictable outcome when demands outpace support. Our companion article breaks down the warning signs, the pressures unique to Oregon IDD caregiving, and the three pillars behind how we care for the families we serve, our DSPs and ECP providers, and our admin and Customer Care Team.

Read Beyond Burnout →
X.Reader Questions

Team Wellness, in plain language.

Who can submit a monthly wellness entry?+
Current Empowered Services DSPs and ECP providers may submit a monthly wellness or self-care activity. (Admin and Care Team members are part of the wellness culture, but the monthly gift drawing is for DSPs and ECP providers.)
What kind of self-care activity can I submit?+
Walking, rest, hydration, journaling, counseling, prayer, hobbies, movement, time with family, breathing exercises, creative activities, healthy boundaries, or anything that helps you reset in a healthy way.
Can I include details about a customer, coworker, or service situation?+
No. Please do not include customer names, coworker names, medical information, service-plan details, family details, personnel issues, photos of customers, or identifying information. Keep your entry focused on your own wellness activity.
Where are the monthly drawings announced?+
Drawings are shared live on the Empowered Services Facebook page.
Is the wellness entry the right place to report an urgent issue?+
No. Wellness entries are only for the monthly self-care drawing. Urgent care concerns, safety issues, scheduling needs, payroll questions, HR concerns, or incidents should go through the normal Empowered Services communication and escalation process.
I'm interested in becoming a DSP — is this wellness culture part of the job?+
Yes. Empowered Services wants team members to feel supported, encouraged, and connected. Learn more on the DSP Experience page.
XI.An Invitation

Part of the team? Take a moment.

Whether your activity was quiet, creative, active, relational, spiritual, or simply a moment to breathe — it counts.

XII.The Family

Become part of the family.

Two paths in. The same care behind both.

For Families · Receiving Care
01

Start with steady support.

If you or a loved one needs support, our team is ready to walk with you. Begin with a quick intake — and learn how the Empowered Choice Program puts your family in the driver's seat.

See all IDD services
For Future Team · Joining Us
02

Build a career that protects you back.

We hire DSPs across Oregon — and the wellness culture you've just read about is part of the deal. Create a caregiver matching profile for possible matches, or view and formally apply for current open roles.

Join our team