Professor from Japan visits ODHS to learn about person-centered practices

Sometimes you don't see your own greatness until someone from the outside points it out and hails it as outstanding.

Sometimes we're so busy working, improving, adjusting, striving for better, we may not see what is really great going on in the work we do. This is what two Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) staff members from the Oregon Home Care Commission (OHCC) and Office of Developmental Disabilities Services (ODDS) recently realized about their services for older adults and people with disabilities.

A doctoral student, Kenta Katsumata from Japan, recently visited staff at OHCC wanting to learn more about how they serve older people and people with disabilities. He is an Assistant Professor and certified social worker in the Department of Social Welfare Studies, Faculty of Design for Welfare Society, at Toyo University in Tokyo, Japan.

(An interview with Katsumata was conducted through emails to him in Japan and a Japanese language interpreter as well as through emails he wrote to OHCC staff.)

"I chose to visit Oregon and the Oregon Home Care Commission (OHCC) because of my strong interest in its person-centered approach and emphasis on self-determination for people with intellectual disabilities. OHCC plays a central role in supporting and developing this system, particularly through training personal support workers, and I believed it was essential to learn directly from these practices.

"In Japan, support is often provided either through professional services, such as group homes and residential facilities, or through unpaid family care, which can sometimes limit individuals' social relationships.

Discussions are only beginning on how informal supporters might be formally integrated into supported decision-making frameworks. At the same time, a significant number of people with severe intellectual disabilities continue to live in institutional settings, and the realization of independent community living remains limited," Katsumata said.

Jenny Cokeley, OHCC Executive Director, said, "His research focused on supported decision-making for people with intellectual disabilities, with attention to personal support workers (PSWs). He also wanted to learn about the recruitment and training of personal support workers." She said,

Nikki Blake is an ODHS Office of Developmental Disabilities Services, Operations and Policy Analyst. She works in collaboration with OHCC. She said, "He talked to personal support workers, brokerages, and people in the community - not just with us. It was a full experience for him."

What Katsumata said he learned:

• "I was particularly impressed by how the voices of individuals themselves are placed at the center in many aspects of the system, including PSW training, board participation, and advocacy efforts. It was inspiring to see how the voices of people receiving support are respected and clearly heard within the community."
• "I was also struck by the way the PSW training curriculum-so kindly explained by Jenny-addresses how the well-intentioned wishes of family members can be connected to truly person-centered support."
• "One of the most important things I learned in Oregon is that the brokerage system is not simply about the amount of available resources, but about a broader effort to center the individual and rethink what self-determination means in practice across society."
• "Within this system, personal agents and personal support workers work together to support individuals' decision-making. I was particularly impressed by the role of personal agents, whose work reflects the core values of social work, especially advocacy, in a very practical way."
• "What stood out to me most was how self-determination is treated as a natural assumption."

Cokeley and Blake said they also learned some things from Katsumata.

"Knowing that someone in Japan knew about Oregon and was interested in the work Oregon is doing was amazing," Cokeley said. "I didn't think we were known internationally for our work for people with disabilities who live at home and in the community."

Blake said, "In 2026, I had assumed that systems across the world were moving away from institutional models of care and placing greater emphasis on supporting people to live meaningful lives within their communities. I was surprised to learn that this transition has not occurred everywhere in the same way. Oregon has a long history of leadership in this area. The state was an early innovator in developing longterm supports that allow people to live in their own homes or in community settings, rather than in large institutions."

Cokeley said, "The work Oregon has done for older adults and people with disabilities is inspiring. His visit renewed my excitement and passion for the work we do. It's really inspiring what we do. It is easy to take that for granted."

And for Katsumata? He will be sharing what he learned in Oregon. And he hopes to return.

"I sincerely hope to continue learning from Oregon with great respect and deep appreciation," Katsumata said.

Learn more about the Oregon Home Care Commission and about home care careers: https://oregonhomecarejobs.com/about-us/