*Due to current circumstances of COVID-19, services will be delivered by phone only until further notice.*
HASL provides a wide range of customized services intended to support and empower people who are differently abled – often as the result of aging or intellectual or physical disability. We believe that all people deserve to have access to all parts of our community and strive to advocate for those who need support.
Personal & Systems Advocacy
We provide resources and information to ensure equal access for all people in all aspects of our community.
We help consumers learn their rights and responsibilities so that they can make informed choices about their lives.
We promote full inclusion for seniors and people with disabilities in all facets of society.
Independent Living Skills
We provide opportunities to learn skills such as budgeting, nutrition, self-care & grooming, transportation access and more.
Our team will help explore eligibility criteria to access disability services available in the community. The world is a much friendlier place when you know how to navigate it with confidence!
Peer Mentoring
Shared experiences help create a community so no one feels alone.
We connect consumers with community members who have first-hand experience with accessibility issues.
Peer mentors help explore options and solve problems.
Transition Services
Our goal is to help disabled people and their families stay in their homes.
We can help:
Facilitate the transition of individuals with significant disabilities from nursing homes and other institutions to home and community‐based residences, with the requisite supports and services.
Provide assistance to individuals with significant disabilities who are at risk of entering institutions so that the individuals may remain in the community.
Support youth with disabilities transition into adulthood.
Referrals & Information
We work closely with community partners and agencies to connect consumers with the services they need to build and maintain independence and enjoy a fulfilled and happy life.
Our services are open to the public and our Referrals & Information network is accessible to all.
Employment Resources Connection (ERC) Program
ERC helps consumers get the most from in-home services. We offer individualized tools on a variety of topics, such as hiring and managing home care workers.
We can work with you to build vital skills such as interviewing prospective workers and communicating your needs, preferences, and expectations. We also cover emergency preparedness for the aging and for people with disabilities.
Work Incentive Network (WIN) Benefits Counseling
WIN counseling helps people with disabilities make informed choices about work, benefits and the use of work incentives to achieve their employment goals.
We have Work Incentive Coordinators on staff to assist those who seek to understand how employment might affect their benefits. For a referral, please call the WIN help desk at 1-800-661-2571.
Healing Pathways (HP)
Healing Pathways is a program for woman over 18 with a physical disability and experiencing depressive symptoms.
This program was originally a pilot project in collaboration with OHSU and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). HP has since become an evidence-based program and is currently funded by Adults & People with Disabilities (APD) through Department of Human Services (DHS). Healing Pathways was a program founded by Lizzi McNeff & Dena Hassouneh.
Disability Awareness Resource Team (DART)
DART helps people with disabilities who have survived sexual assault, domestic violence, caregiver abuse, and other forms of victimization with:
individual assessment and action planning
access to group and individual counseling
personal and system advocacy
Project DART is a program of HASL Center for Independent Living serving the greater Portland area. DART is a community-based organization founded by Elizabeth McNeff which became a part of the HASL Service in October 2015. Located at the Gateway Center at 10305 E. Burnside St. in Portland, DART brings advocates and volunteers together to provide direct services to people with disabilities in the Portland Tri-county area. DART is funded by various federal and local grants including Victims of Crime Act and Violence Against Women funding.
To access services in the Portland Metro Area, call 1-503-988-6481 ext. 86481. You may also access their website or by calling Patricia Alvarez at HASL.
HASL is an SMP Provider!
Senior Medicare Patrols (SMPs) empower and assist Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers to prevent, detect, and report health care fraud, errors, and abuse through outreach, counseling, and education. SMPs are grant-funded projects of the federal U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL). Their work is in three main areas:
Conduct Outreach and Education. SMPs give presentations to groups, exhibit at events, and work one-on-one with Medicare beneficiaries.
Engage Volunteers. Protecting older persons’ health, finances, and medical identity while saving precious Medicare dollars is a cause that attracts civic-minded Americans.
Receive Beneficiary Complaints. When Medicare beneficiaries, caregivers, and family members bring their complaints to the SMP, the SMP makes a determination about whether or not fraud, errors, or abuse is suspected. When fraud or abuse is suspected, they make referrals to the appropriate state and federal agencies for further investigation.