A little background
In December 2013, Community First Choice (K-Plan waiver) was brought to Jennefer Taylor's attention through her daughter’s Service Coordinator. Her Coordinator offered a new program for one on one supports for Alexandra (Rockstar). The Service Coordinator explained that with this new program the state will pay for individuals (DSP's) to help take care of her daughter, providing life skills and community supports. Little did Jennefer know exactly what that would mean for their future.
After realizing the opportunities being presented, Jennefer knew that with her experience running a variety of preschools, after school and inclusion programs she could do more to help.
1st Choice was deliberately created to be a direct employer of DSP’s within Central Oregon to help support families and employees with goals specific to each persons service plan.
With the love and dedication of Chelsea Stanton, Brennan Dennis, Daniel Tamburini, Sam Ozment, Ron and Sandy Fraker, Nate Egbert, Cassandra Keller and Kim Davis, they pushed Jennefer to go beyond her own experience, to dig deeper and build 1st choice into what it is today.
In the fall of 2020 Jennefer sold 1st Choice to Almost Family, LLC. The company continues to grow and has an amazing team filled with family, friends, employees and clients that have originally been with 1st Choice for years! We have been very blessed to be supported by all the amazing people that call our agency home. Jennefer still plays a role as a consultant with the company to help ensure the original vision continues.
We are very excited for the future and all the opportunities of change.
How we work
As an Agency we hire, train, match and supervise our direct support professionals while offering great benefits for them. DSP’s are direct employees of 1st Choice and are responsible to follow all 1st Choice rules and regulations. We function as a liaison between clients, families and our direct support professionals.
Attendant care hours are determined by the CNA/ANA, Service Coordinator/Personal Agents and Parents/Guardians during the ONA process.
As a group we create monthly goals to work on. This is updated as needed or annually.
We provide fully trained DSP's as needed for the Clients based on the agreed goals from the ISP.