Please join us for these two trainings led by Sarah Swenson of PCL!
You can choose to attend just the ONA webinar or just the Exceptions, or both for a discounted rate.
Each webinar is two hours and will be offered again in June with a separate registration should these dates not work for you.
Don't Leave It to Chance, Be ONA Ready: How to Prepare, Track, and Respond to the ONA
May 26th from 10am-12pm PT
$60 for ORA Members
&/OR
Exceptions, Approvals, and the Calculator: Protecting People and Your Bottom Line
May 28th from 2pm-4pm PT
$60 for ORA Members
Attend both for only $100!
Learning Goals + Details for ONA Webinar:
The Oregon Needs Assessment drives funding for every service your organization delivers, and many providers have no formal system for what happens before, during, or after one. This class isn't about how the ONA works; it's about discovering what you can do to strengthen the process. We'll focus on building the organizational systems that prepare your teams to accurately represent the people they support, ensure documentation reflects real life, and catch errors before a flawed ONA drives an underfunded ISP. We'll also cover how to determine when a Change in Need ONA is warranted and how to track everything across your organization so nothing falls through the cracks.
Participants will leave with frameworks for: pre-assessment preparation and documentation standards · coaching DSP teams to accurately describe supports (including proactive supports) · reviewing a completed ONA and requesting corrections · determining when and how to initiate a Change in Need · building an ONA tracking system across your organization
Designed for: CEOs, Executive Directors, Senior Operations Leaders, CFOs
(This is a system-design conversation. Program Managers are the recipients of what you build here.)
Learning Goals + Details for Exceptions Webinar:
When a person's support needs exceed what their ONA service group can provide, the Exceptions process closes the gap. But most provider organizations navigate it reactively, incompletely, or not at all. A significant reason: the Exceptions process is widely misunderstood across the system by providers, case managers, and families alike, and persistent myths (such as the idea that supports must already be in place before a request can be made) keep people from getting what they need. This class equips senior leaders to develop an organizational approach to exceptions, from identifying when one is needed to crafting a compelling submission, to working effectively with guardians, case managers, and behavior professionals. We'll also review the financial aspects of an Exception and the Exception Calculator: a formula-based document, and how to use it not just to verify approvals, but to build an FTE model and an accurate program budget.
Participants will leave with frameworks for: identifying when an exception is needed · building complete, compelling submissions · coordinating across the exception team · tracking open requests and renewal timelines · locating and reading the Exception Calculator · using the calculator to build an FTE and program budget
Designed for: CEOs, Executive Directors, CFOs, Senior Operations Leaders, Senior Finance leaders
Sarah Swenson
Sarah Swenson has spent more than 25 years supporting Oregonians with intellectual and developmental disabilities at Partnerships in Community Living, a statewide non-profit I/DD provider based in Monmouth. In her current role as Executive Policy, Funding, and Project Strategist, she is a key contributor to organizational strategy, funding systems, and complex projects across service types, including 24-Hour Services for adults and children, Supported Living, In-Home, Employment, and Day Services. Her hands-on experience spans rate model implementation, Oregon Needs Assessments, and the Exceptions process, including direct participation in state-level workgroups, Rule Advisory Committees, and the Burns and Associates Rate Model workgroups. A two-time Oregon Resource Association award recipient (Extra Mile and Leadership Excellence), Sarah brings deep operational knowledge of these topics and a firm belief that the best learning happens when experienced practitioners learn from one another.