ORS 417.360 Findings and policy

The Legislative Assembly finds that:

The current delivery system for human services is fragmented and uncoordinated, producing service duplication and inappropriate or inadequate responses to individuals and to families;

Clients with multiple needs must interact with a variety of agencies and frequently feel powerless to negotiate the complicated array of services;

The system is too often perceived as victimizing the persons it is intended to serve;

Dedicated direct service workers become the target of disillusionment by clients even though the workers are equally frustrated by their lack of control over bureaucratic requirements; and

The state needs to rethink and restructure traditional methods of delivering human services. Organizations that have traditionally not viewed themselves as partners, such as social services and education, must be strongly encouraged to integrate their programs.

It shall be the policy of this state to foster a family-or client-centered service delivery system at the community level with the goal of providing more efficient and responsive services, driven by the needs of the individuals and families served and not by funding tied to traditional, categorical programs. Family services available through community level delivery systems should include, but need not be limited to, education, information and referral services.