Resources for Parents of Adult Children with Disabilities

Legal Research for Parents of Adult Children with Disabilities
Questions from parents about adult children with disabilities can cover a very wide range of legal issues. The following resources (and our new Disability Law Legal Research Guide) cover a few popular topics.

Special Needs Trusts:
1) The Arc of Oregon has a website on the Oregon Special Needs Trust. The Oregon Special Needs Trust is a “pooled trust” fund that provides supplemental needs to disabled individuals.
2) The National Special Needs Network offers answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Supplemental Needs Trusts.

State and county resources:
1) The Oregon Department of Human Services has a list of County Developmental Disabilities Programs and a Support Services Brokerages List by county/region.
2) The Washington County Developmental Disability Program offers a number of useful agency links on their website.
3) Lifespan Respite, from the Oregon DHS, provides information for families and providers about caring for a child or adult with special needs.

Other local social service and nonprofit agencies:
1) The Oregon Parent Training and Information Center (now under the umbrella of the Oregon r.i.s.e. Center) mainly focuses on children and youth with disabilities, but provides many useful resources for parents including parent support groups listed by county. They also have a lending library of disability related resources. For information on the lending library contact the r.i.s.e. Salem office at: 888-505-2673, or email info@oregonrisecenter.org.
2) Aging and Disability Resource Connection of Oregon offers information on local resources for long term support and services.

3) Eastern Oregon Developmental Disability Resources provides county, state, and regional resources, events, crisis information, and useful links.

Hiring Lawyers:
1) How to Find a Lawyer in Oregon Legal Research Guide
2)Oregon State Bar Lawyer Referral Service (503) 684-3763

Special needs trusts resources at the Washington County Law Library:
Special Needs Trusts from Nolo Press. Many Nolo titles are also available at public libraries.

CLE course books:
Estate Planning for Protected Persons and People with Disabilities, Special Needs Trusts, Administering Trusts in Oregon.
CLE manuals:
Administering Trusts in Oregon