The short answer is yes. In Oregon, you have a legal right to choose your IDD provider, change that choice whenever you want, and add additional providers to your plan when different services call for them. You do not need a crisis, a complaint on file, or a particularly good reason. The right exists regardless.
If that is news to you, you are in the majority. Many Oregon families and self-advocates spend years assuming they are stuck with whoever they were first assigned, or that making a change is something only done in extreme cases. Both assumptions are wrong. Your right to choose is written directly into the rules that run Oregon’s IDD system, and your case manager or personal agent has a legal duty to help you use it.
Whether you are exploring this for yourself or someone you support, this article walks through where that right comes from, what it actually covers, and how to exercise it.
The right to choose, in one paragraph
Oregon’s IDD system is built on two principles that the state takes seriously: self-determination and informed choice. Together, they mean that the person receiving services (or their legal representative) is the one who decides who delivers those services. That decision is yours to make, yours to revisit, and yours to change.
Where the right comes from
The right to change or add providers is not a courtesy. It comes from a stack of federal and state rules that protect choice as a non-negotiable part of how IDD services work.
Federal protections
Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) rules. Federal HCBS rules, which govern Medicaid-funded services like Oregon’s IDD program, require that people receiving services have the same access to the community as people who are not. That includes the right to control personal resources, the right to seek competitive integrated employment, and the right to choose their service settings and providers.
The Olmstead Decision. In 1999, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Olmstead v. L.C. that unjustified segregation of people with disabilities is a form of discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The decision requires states to support community-based services chosen by the person receiving care, not the system delivering it.
The Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA backs all of this up by protecting against discrimination in services, including the way IDD services are delivered.
Oregon state rules
Oregon takes those federal protections and writes them into its own rules. Three are worth knowing by name:
OAR 411-004-0020. This is the rule that establishes self-determination and informed choice as the foundation of the Oregon IDD system. It applies to the person receiving services and protects their right to make decisions about their own care.
OAR 411-375-0020. This is the rule that protects your right to select and change service providers within the Oregon IDD system.
OAR 411-415-0050(9). This is the Choice Advising rule, part of Oregon’s standards for case management services. It requires your case management entity to make sure your service options, provider options, and setting options are described to you. The rule defines Choice Advising as “the unbiased sharing of information,” which means the information has to be given to you straight, not shaded toward one provider.
If you ever want to read the rules yourself, they are public. The Oregon Department of Human Services publishes them on the state website.
What “person-centered planning” actually means
You will hear the phrase person-centered planning in almost every conversation about IDD services. It can sound like industry jargon, but it is actually a legal standard with teeth.
In practice, person-centered planning means the services you receive are built around you. Your goals, the way your day works, the things you care about, the people who matter to you, the direction you want your life to go. You (or your loved one) lead the conversation. Family members, case managers, and providers contribute, but the plan reflects what the person at the center actually wants.
When this is happening the way it should, you can feel it. The plan reads like it was written about a specific human. Routines reflect what the person actually prefers. The case manager listens longer than they talk. The provider asks what you want before deciding what to deliver.
When it is not happening, that has a feeling too. Decisions get made about you, in rooms you are not in. The annual plan looks suspiciously similar to last year’s annual plan. You raise concerns and watch them sit there.
If that second picture is the one you recognize, the law is already on your side. Person-centered planning is a state requirement, not a brand promise. Changing to a provider that takes it seriously is one of the most direct ways to close the gap between what you are getting and what you are entitled to.
Choice Advising: the support you may not know exists
Here is the part many families miss. Your case manager (CDDP) or personal agent (brokerage) works for a case management entity, and that entity has a formal duty to make sure your options get described to you. The state calls it Choice Advising, and it is written into OAR 411-415-0050(9).
The rule’s own words matter here. It defines Choice Advising as “the unbiased sharing of information with an individual about case management entities, providers, services, or setting options.” Unbiased is the operative word. The information is supposed to come to you straight, described in a way you can actually use, and not tilted toward whichever provider is most convenient for the system. The rule also sets specific moments when this has to happen: within 10 business days of being found eligible for services, and as part of the person-centered planning process both before your first ISP and before an ISP review.
If you have never been offered Choice Advising, or if a previous case manager skipped over it, ask for it directly. The exact words to use are: “I would like Choice Advising support to compare provider options.” That is the language the rule uses, and it gets a real response.
When can you make a change? Anytime.
There is a misconception worth clearing up. Some families believe they have to wait for an annual review, document a complaint, or experience a serious incident before they can change providers. None of that is required.
You can change (or add) when:
- You are unhappy with the support you are receiving
- You want a better fit between staff and the person receiving services
- You need a service or specialty your current provider does not offer
- You want to add a second agency for community supports, employment, or other services your current provider does not deliver
- You experienced a quality-of-care issue
- You simply want to explore other options
Or no specific reason at all. The right to choose does not come with a justification requirement.
What about restrictions?
Oregon’s rules emphasize choice, but a few practical limits do apply:
- Children under 18 must receive case management through a CDDP. The choice between CDDP and brokerage applies only to adults.
- Adults living in licensed 24-hour residential settings (group homes) must use CDDP case management.
- Adults living in their own home or a family home have the full choice between CDDP and brokerage case management.
These rules affect case management entity choice, not your right to change direct care providers. Direct care providers (the agency that employs your DSP, or an independent Personal Support Worker) can be changed regardless of your case management setup.
How to exercise your rights
If you are ready to use the rights this article describes, the path is straightforward.
Step 1: Reach out to your case manager or personal agent. Tell them you are considering a change and that you would like Choice Advising support to compare providers in your area. You do not need to explain why. You do not need to name a specific new provider yet.
Step 2: Look at your options. Your case manager can point you toward the agencies serving your area. Look at what each one offers. Pay attention to how they describe matching staff with the people they support, how they handle communication, and what their process looks like before services start. You can also research agencies on your own and bring names to the conversation.
Step 3: Visit and ask questions. Meet the providers you are most interested in. Ask specific questions: average staff tenure, how DSP matches are made, what happens when an issue comes up, how they describe person-centered planning in practice. Specific answers point to a real process. Vague answers point to one that is still being built.
Step 4: Make the call. When you have decided, your case manager helps you complete the three-step administrative process (contact, meetings, updated ISP). For a deeper walk-through of those steps, see How to Change (or Add) IDD Providers in Oregon: The Complete Guide.
What if you are not getting the support the rules require?
If your case manager will not describe your options, or pushes back on your right to change providers, you have options of your own.
You can request a different case manager or personal agent. You can escalate the concern to your CDDP or brokerage’s leadership. And if you believe your rights are being denied, you can contact Disability Rights Oregon (droregon.org), the federally designated protection and advocacy organization for Oregonians with disabilities. Their services are free.
In practice, most case managers know the rules and follow them. But if you ever feel like the system is working against you instead of for you, the safety net exists.
Where Essential Services fits (and where we do not)
Essential Services is a person-centered IDD provider serving eight Oregon counties: Yamhill, Washington, Multnomah, Marion, Polk, Clackamas, Linn, and Tillamook. Most of what you have read in this article describes rights that any qualified Oregon provider should respect. The reason this section exists is to be honest about something specific: we are not the right fit for everyone, and we are willing to say so.
Here is what that looks like in practice. When someone takes our Compatibility Quiz, the answers tell us whether our model genuinely matches what the family or self-advocate needs. If it looks like a strong fit, our Referrals team’s calendar appears right on your results screen and you pick a time that works for you. The Compatibility Check itself is a free 20 to 30 minute conversation, and there is no pressure in it. If our model does not match, we tell you that instead, and we will often point you toward resources or other providers that look like a better fit.
That posture is intentional. The whole campaign you are reading is built on the idea that families are entitled to a real choice, and a real choice means real options (including the option of choosing someone other than us). The worst thing we could do is talk a poor-fit family into signing up and then watch the relationship strain six months later.
If you do want to see whether we might be the right fit for your situation, the Compatibility Quiz takes about two minutes. You get a straight answer either way.
Take the next step
You have a legal right to choose your provider. You have Choice Advising support built into the system. You can change or add at any time, for any reason, or no reason at all. Whatever you decide from here, the choice belongs to you, and the rules are designed to back you up when you exercise it.
If you are in one of our eight Oregon counties and want to see whether we would be a good fit, take the Compatibility Quiz. And if not, take the rest of this article with you. The rights here belong to you whether you ever talk to us or not.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a reason to change IDD providers in Oregon?
No. Oregon’s rules protect your right to select any qualified provider at any time, for any reason, or no reason at all. You do not need to document a complaint, wait for an annual review, or justify the decision to your case manager or your current agency.
Can my case manager refuse to help me change providers?
No. Under OAR 411-415-0050(9), your case management entity has a duty to make sure your service, provider, and setting options are described to you, and the rule requires that information be shared without bias. If your case manager is not helping, you can request a different case manager or contact Disability Rights Oregon (droregon.org). Their services are free.
Can I keep my current provider and add a new one?
Yes. You can add a second agency for services your current provider does not cover, or simply for additional support. Your case manager updates your ISP to authorize the new agency, and both providers deliver services under the same plan.
Will changing providers affect my eligibility or funding?
No. Your eligibility and your authorized services live in your ISP and Oregon’s state systems, not with any provider. A change updates who delivers your services, and your case manager sets the end and start dates in your ISP so services continue without interruption.
What should I say to get started?
Keep it simple. If you want to compare options first: “I would like Choice Advising support to compare provider options.” If you already know your choice: “I would like to add Essential Services as a provider agency.” Your case manager or personal agent handles these requests regularly and will walk you or your loved one through what comes next.
