The Portland-based nonprofit Albertina Kerr will stop providing services to people with developmental disabilities in Lane County. So what's next for the clients and staff?
32 clients, including 23 from around the clock group homes, will need new accommodations. Issues with state funding is one of the reasons Albertina Kerr said it is leaving Lane County after 18 years. Even so, the person in charge of overseeing the transition of clients is confident there are enough local agencies to take them on.
Farr: "Those providers are very interested in looking at this and analyzing whether or not this makes good business sense for them to assume a few programs."
Jeanne Farr is President of Disabilities Services and Strategic Projects for Albertina Kerr. Farr says the 74 employees will likely get hired on by the agencies.
Farr: "The successor organizations that come in, it's going to be in their best interest and they will really want to hire the existing staff because there is a bit of a staff shortage in our field. So there will be jobs for the current employees."
Farr says the transition could take 3 to 6 months, or longer.