Stories from Sometimes a Great Podcast - Oct. 22, 2025: Season 1, Episode 18

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Sept. 17, 2025

We never know when we may be faced with someone going through a dire situation. How we respond can make a difference.

An Oregon Eligibility Program (OEP) Eligibility Worker shares her experience with a caller in distress.

Sometimes simply sharing information related to suicide may be emotionally activating for individuals. Please keep this in mind as you consider when, where and if you read this message.

It was Wednesday, April 2, a few minutes before 6 p.m. when the phone call connected with Michele Stewart.

“He was in distress. You could hear it in his voice,” Stewart said.

Stewart is a Human Support Specialist 3 for the Oregon Department of Human Services Oregon Eligibility Partnership (OEP) working out of Lakeview in the Virtual Eligibility Center. She helps determine eligibility for people needing medical, food, cash and childcare assistance.

“The Oregonian on the phone explains to me that he has severe medical issues and needs to get his long-term care approved and taken care of now because has no ability to care for himself. That’s when the conversation gets a little drastic. He says, ’If I don’t get medical benefits today, I will kill myself,” Stewart said.

Many of us may have been in a similar position. It could happen to any of us when we are faced with having the right words and the right information needed to help someone in need.

Stewart kept calm.

She told him, “We don’t want to see that happen. Let me see what I can do to take care of your needs today. He started crying. You could hear the desperation in his voice. I told him, ‘I promise we’ll get through this together and have some kind of answer tonight.’ He said, ‘You don’t understand, I am going to kill myself and you are going to hear it happen.’ I asked him, ‘What can I do for you this moment? Can I get someone on the phone to talk with you right now?’ He said, ‘I don’t need a counselor.’ ”Other resources were offered along with the Suicide Prevention hotline number. He even refused to talk to someone at the suicide prevention hotline,” she said.

Stewart focused on getting what this Oregonian needed. She works until 7 p.m. usually and time was running out to get in touch with a Human Support Specialist 4 lead for support if the long-term care aspect needed more assistance. Long Term Care cases take a little longer to be approved. After an eligibility worker runs eligibility, the case must then be sent to someone from the Aging and People with Disabilities (APD) program who will schedule time to come out to the Oregonian’s home to evaluate their needs. When she told him about that process, she knew right away that was a mistake.

“We are supposed to explain the program and how long it takes. But he was so emotionally fragile. Sharing this process pushed him over the edge. He kept saying, ‘I am going to kill myself and you are going to listen,’” she said.

She kept reassuring him she would help him. Trying to build that rapport and connection.

“I said, you’re important. You’re valued. I care about you. I kept telling him what I felt he needed to hear,” Stewart said.

But then, her computer had a technical glitch. She reached out to the only person she knew that was available at that late hour who was a Human Service Support Specialist 4, John Manning. She had to put the man on hold while she talked with Manning in a Zoom room chat. The man hung up on her.

“I’m crying at this point. I called him back and he answered the phone but did not saying anything. I would tell him I am sorry we got disconnected,” but the voice on the other end never spoke she said.

Then he hung up again. Stewart kept calling him back. On the fourth try it went straight to voicemail. She had reached John Manning in the Zoom Room by then and had briefed John on what was going on. She then asked John to call the Oregonian because the call would be coming from a different number. He picked up. John talked with him, remaining calm while conversing through text with Stewart to call the police in the Oregonian’s area for assistance. Manning spoke with the Oregonian, exchanging conversation and trying his best to keep him on the line until help arrived, but the man was becoming more and more incoherent. Manning did hear the man on the other end of the phone share that he was overdosing on fentanyl.

Stewart got the 911 person for his district. Police rushed to find the man, but he wasn’t at his residence. They called Stewart and asked what type of vehicle the man had and luckily, she had that information available. They found him in his vehicle in the parking lot. Officers shared with Stewart that he was unconscious and unresponsive and was being rushed to a hospital.

Stewart kept checking back on the case. She informed her supervisor of the situation the next morning. John Manning completed an “Urgent Need” referral the next morning to APD managers requesting immediate contact due to the crisis call. When Stewart checked up on the case about five days later, she learned that APD had reached out to the man and he was home.

“When I read that, it meant he was alive. I made a “Yes!” gesture with my arms. I was extatically happy. The fact he stayed on phone for two-plus hours was amazing. It was so hard to listen to his pleas and distress knowing I couldn’t get anyone out there for an assessment any quicker. Protocol had to be followed,” she said.

APD was able to offer a home visit to complete the Long-Term Care assessment, but the man had moved to his only friend’s home in Washington by then.

“I think about this situation often. And I often wonder how he is doing. Has he been able to get a home care worker or someone who could come help him?” Stewart said.

She learned several lessons from this call: “Training is invaluable. Life is precious. Trust your instincts, stay calm and always have your work tools updated with current information and organized for quick access.

“I would encourage my co-workers to take as many classes as possible on trauma awareness and suicide prevention – and to take this seriously. You never know what the person on the other end of the phone might be going through. Someone may need you to be their lifeline.”

This situation has given Stewart a new outlook on life and the work processes to help save lives.

“I continue to push for a clear and streamlined work process for Crisis Calls and training. Advocating for those in need is what we do daily at the Oregon Department of Human Services. I look forward to working with Policy to update and streamline the Crisis Call process to be able to assist our fellow Oregonians in crisis quicker. Every minute is precious. For example, if I had been three-minutes later in calling John Manning, the Zoom Room would have been closed. We would not been able to have such a positive outcome.

“As the eligibility worker on other end of the line, I felt helpless, but I was not hopeless. “I couldn’t have done this without the support from my coworker John Manning and I will forever be grateful that John was there to assist.”

Honoring Our Employees

We are grateful to Michelle and John for making a difference in the life of an Oregonian they were assisting. Their care and compassion reflect the very best of our mission.

There are many crisis call situations that ODHS employees have faced, and we honor all of our employees who have stepped forward in those moments and made a difference.

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Sept. 15, 2025

On Sept. 15, 2025, the Oregon Eligibility Partnership (OEP) was recognized nationally with two awards from the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) at the 2025 IT Solutions Management for Human Services Education Conference and Expo in Reno, Nevada. This year’s conference theme — Innovate, Elevate, Lead: The Future of Human Services Technology — showcased the best in forward-thinking solutions.

Oregon stood out. OEP was invited to host five sessions, highlighting our innovative work in gathering staff and consumer input, delivering Summer EBT, and developing Oregon’s new AI tool for staff, EligiBot. OEP was honored with two awards at the conference:

• Best Use of Technology – Internal Award: OEP and the Office of Information Services (OIS) received this award for the Oregon GenAI EligiBot. Developed by OEP and OIS staff and launched in June 2025, EligiBot serves as an AI assistant that helps eligibility staff quickly find resources, tools, and answers. OEP will also present EligiBot in the Tech-Enabled Innovation category at the conference.
• Excellence in Leadership Award – Government Sector: OEP Director Nathan Singer received the prestigious Jerry W. Friedman Excellence in Leadership Award. This honor recognizes leaders who have made a significant impact in human services and who champion integrated systems that keep people at the center.

The ODHS Office of Communications prepared two short videos about these awards for the conference. They are now available on the agency’s YouTube page.

These awards reflect Oregon’s national leadership in human services innovation and the dedication of staff who are helping shape the future of eligibility work.

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Oct. 6, 2025

With the help of Oregon’s Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program, Christy Albin transformed a debilitating diagnosis into a comeback story for her long-time mobile notary business, which she had originally established in 2012 under the name Lady of the Lake Mobile Notary.

When Albin’s knees gave out in 2022, her thriving business came to a halt.

Diagnosed with bilateral osteoarthritis, the Eugene entrepreneur could no longer walk long distances or stand for extended periods — essential tasks for someone who regularly visited retirement homes, hospitals, and assisted living facilities to notarize wills, trusts and power of attorney documents.

“It was car-crash-level of pain in both knees,” Albin said. “It was like having two flat tires. I could still walk a little ways, but I couldn’t stand or walk very far. My knees would just buckle.”

Albin could make it up a few stairs and a few steps, but most of her clients were down long halls, such as in nursing facilities. Her doctor sent her to be outfitted for a wheelchair. She needed it just to get to her mailbox and to be able to do many of her normal daily living tasks at home, such as cook and minor cleaning and anything that required extended time on her legs.

But she had no way to load her wheelchair into her Toyota RAV 4 to get to her clients. She feared losing her independence. And then she came across information online about VR.

“I saw a story about a man getting his vehicle outfitted for his mobility at his job. Vocational Rehabilitation helped him. If they could do that for me, I could get back to work,” she said.

That same day, she called her local Vocational Rehabilitation office, which is part of the Oregon Department of Human Services. Her first counselor, Chelsea Miller, recognized the urgency.

“As a Mobile Notary by trade, it was hard for her to travel to get to her clients. Her business had gone by the wayside,” Miller said.

Miller brought in mentor Shawn Winkler-Rios of Soloprenur to help her reimagine her business and write a business plan, which was subsequently submitted to OR VR for approval.

“She already knew the notary business,” Winkler-Rios said. “We identified gaps such as financial and marketing. We looked at strengths and weaknesses. I created an AI customized system for her.”

Albin’s determination impressed him.

“Christy really has that drive. When I was able to guide her, Christy would come back the next week and she had done what was needed. She’s a do-er,” Winkler-Rios said.

With a solid business plan in place, VR helped Albin develop an Individualized Plan for Employment, identifying what she already had in place from her previous Mobile Notary business and what she needed to relaunch the new business, Legal Eagles of the Lake…, a mobile notary service.

In December 2023, Stephanie Kirkland took over as Albin’s counselor and helped finalize the most critical piece: a new vehicle with a ramp for her wheelchair. Exact vehicle specifications were determined and the requests for bids were sent out in mid 2024. VR purchased the vehicle and it was delivered to Christy in November 2024.

VR secured a 2021 obsidian blue Honda Odyssey with a wheelchair ramp and wrapped it with Albin’s new business name and logo: Legal Eagles of the Lake. The business name is a nod to her previous business, Lady of the Lake Mobile Notary and to her partner, Henry “Butch” Grambusch’s notary service, Eagle Mobile Notary. They frequently work together at the same appointment, sometimes one acting as a required “witness” if the signer needs a witness, or sometimes just for fast and efficient service for the client.

Grambusch’s and Albin also collaborate on marketing efforts, as well as work task efforts, as needed. His primary focus is on General Notary Work. Albin handles both General Notary Work as well as Loan Signings directly for Title Companies and Escrow Officers and occasionally works as a subcontractor to loan Signing Services from out-of-state.

VR also funded additional notary certifications and supported Albin in launching a marketing blitz, helping her reconnect with local title companies. She even printed branded t-shirts, posters, postcards, banners, and other logo-wear to promote her services.

“Now Christy is able to get back out there and start working again. She gets calls from people who used her in the past,” Kirkland said. “It’s so nice to see somebody who felt like they can’t work, to seeing the change in them.”

With her mobility restored, Albin’s business is thriving again. She is also bilingual in German, has emerging language skills in Spanish and French, all of which she uses in her businesses to help her customers when needed.

“I was just hired by a North Dakota title company for a Buyer’s signing, and I am also doing General Notary Work that includes signings for wills, trusts, powers of attorney forms, advanced healthcare directives and other basic documents that need to be notarized” she said. “I am now able to again take the attorney prepared documents out to clients. They are more comfortable meeting in libraries, cafes and public spaces or their homes to sign things privately. I know the notary laws. I have the experience. I enjoy it a lot.”

Albin is thankful for all the support that she receives through VR to help her get back to work and to be able to once again become financially independent doing the business that she has been doing for the past 13 years.

“Vocational Rehabilitation has given me so much, I am really amazed,” she said. “It is wonderful to be able to reclaim my personal and financial independence once again with the help of Oregon VR.”

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Oct. 7, 2025

To: Case management entities, providers and Vision Advisory Committee From: Darlene O’Keeffe, Interim Director Office of Developmental Disabilities Services (ODDS)

Subject: Quality and compliance administrator hired

Dear ODDS partners: I have good news. Deepika Sidhu (she/her) has accepted the position of ODDS quality and compliance administrator. She will manage the ODDS Quality and Compliance Pillar and serve on the ODDS executive leadership team. Her first day is Oct. 21, 2025.

Deepika has more than 12 years of leadership experience in disability operations, compliance, and quality oversight. Her experience spans healthcare, rehabilitation and insurance systems in the U.S. and Canada.

She has held senior management roles at the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, Pacific Blue Cross and Legacy Health Systems. She managed multi-layered teams responsible for disability operations and quality systems, partnered with providers, advocates and regulators, and advanced equity-focused oversight. Her career has centered on aligning policy with lived experience and ensuring services are accountable, accessible and person centered.

Deepika has a Master of Health Sector Management, a Master of Business Administration in Operations Management, and a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. She’s excited to collaborate with ODDS staff, providers and community partners to strengthen equity, accountability and safety for Oregonians with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Please join me with welcoming Deepika to ODDS!

Darlene O’Keeffe
Interim Director Office of Developmental Disabilities Services
Oregon Department of Human Services

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NDEAM in action: How VR helped me advance my career

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), a time to recognize the contributions people with disabilities bring to Oregon’s workplaces and economy. With one in four adults reporting a disability in the U.S., it’s likely you work alongside people with disabilities. You may not even know it because many disabilities are invisible.

I'm a communications officer with Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), and I’m among those in Oregon’s workforce who have an invisible disability.

I was born with Charcot Marie Tooth disease, also called CMT. It doesn’t have anything to do with my teeth, despite the name. It is a genetic disorder that causes nerve damage and muscle weakness below the elbows and knees. It effects one in 2,500 people, and there is no cure. I got it from my mother, who got it from her mother, who got it from her father. And so on.

Because of CMT, I have an accommodation to use Dragon Naturally Speaking. This voice recognition software allows me to dictate text and navigate around my computer.

I have been using Dragon since 2011, thanks to help from the Oregon Department of Human Services’ Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program. This is my story of how a brief intervention from VR allowed me to advance in my career and find my dream job at ODHS.

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I learned I had CMT in childhood, after my grandmother did some genetic testing. But I didn’t know that meant I had a disability and qualified for protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

So when CMT affected my ability to do my job as a newspaper reporter, I thought I had no choice but to quit.

After four years of furious notetaking and frantic typing to meet rigorous daily deadlines, I got tendonitis in both forearms. Nothing the doctors recommended helped. The pain started affecting my ability to take care of myself and my home; driving was painful. I realized CMT was affecting my hands the same way it had affected my grandmother’s — who had to quit her job as a piano teacher.

I didn’t know that I could ask for an accommodation, or even what an accommodation was. And this was 2008; workplace protections for people with disabilities had been in place since 1990.

My grandmother and mother didn’t refer to themselves as having a disability. I never saw examples of them advocating for themselves and their needs. Without information and support, and I didn’t know how or when to ask for help.

Thankfully, a referral from an occupational therapist led me to VR. My VR counselor introduced me to Dragon Naturally Speaking, a voice recognition software I could use not only to type, but to navigate around my computer. I was unemployed with no income, and so I qualified for VR to purchase the equipment and training for me to learn to use it.

For those of you who use Dragon, you will know this latter part is huge. Learning Dragon is like learning another language. I used it to start a blog, strengthen my LinkedIn profile and update my resume. I was ready to re-enter the workforce.

I applied for a communications job at State Parks and got an interview. As I prepared for the interview, I debated when I should bring up my accommodation needs. I was terrified. I lost sleep and worried they would regret hiring me. I also worried I wouldn’t get the tools I needed in time to start work, that I wouldn’t be able to provide value to the organization.

Thanks to our state’s support for the ADA and people with disabilities, all of my fears were unfounded. In fact, I was promoted within the first year.

Seven years later, I applied for my current job as a communications officer for ODHS. And this time I wasn’t afraid to disclose my disability. The new job came with a promotion, and the privilege of helping others connect with VR and other employment supports for people with disabilities.

There was a dark time for me when I feared I wouldn’t be able to work and support myself. I applied for social security benefits, thinking I had no other option.

But I was willing to do anything, including learning a completely new way of working, to be able to contribute to my community. With a small hand up from VR, I was able to propel my career.

My story demonstrates that with the right tools and supports, people with disabilities can excel and bring value to their workplaces and communities. I am just one of hundreds of examples in Oregon of why disability inclusion matters, during NDEAM and every month of the year.