Articles
People First of Oregon
Fairview: The Closing Chapter
Articles
Fairview Closing Progress
The closure of the Fairview Training Center in Salem is a huge task that will reshape the way we provide services to people with developmental disabilities.
The savings will help pay for new community programs, for higher wages for care providers, and for supports to families providing in-home care to loved ones with developmental disabilities.
Closing Fairview means developing suitable community housing for the remaining 277 residents, and ensuring that their needs are met during and after the transition.
Another important responsibility is providing as much assistance as we can to Fairview's employees.
Managing our Fairview work force is complex. Although more than 1,000 jobs will be phased out by the July 2000 closure date, we also must maintain sufficient knowledgeable staff to continue providing high-quality care.
So far, we've been able to minimize layoff notices to staff. So far, 13 people have received notice that they will be laid off by the end of December. In the coming months, an increasing number of employees will receive layoff notices.
In all cases, these notices will be issued six months before the actual layoff.
We're doing several things to help workers who are leaving Fairview.
We've arranged for employees to receive preference in interviewing for suitable positions in all DHR divisions and in several other state agencies.
We are working with the Mid-Willamette Jobs Council, the state Employment Department, Chemeketa Community College and other partners to help with training and other needs. The Department's Employee Development Team is providing valuable training, too.
An employee transition team also is helping workers at Fairview access training and other employment.
It's important to remember the unique, close-knit nature of the Fairview community. In some Salem-area families, you can find two or three generations of Fairview workers.
Employees at Fairview have formed some close attachments--among themselves and with the residents, many of whom have lived there virtually all their lives.
I appreciate the Fairview employees' service. We are committed to doing what we can to provide new opportunities for them.
Department of Human Resources Message from the Director excerpt: July 31, 1998
by Gary Weeks, director of the Oregon Department of Human Resources