All posts by elly.rufer@gmail.com

Transformation Panel

Advocacy, nyc fair, NYC Legislative Information

OPWDD has created a panel of experts on the ID/DD field from throughout New York State, to recommend to OPWDD how best to implement the Transformation Agenda. You can check out who is on the panel on our website. The Legislature has budgeted a million dollars for the panel to do an accurate census of the field. They want to know how many people need residential services what kind, and how soon, as well as the need for employment services. They need an accurate accounting of numbers of people as well as their level of need. In addition they must report of how the Front Door is working. These reports are due Feb. 2016. Members of the Executive Committee of NYC FAIR are arranging to meet with many members of the panel to be sure they understand these issues from the families point of view.

Below are links to more information about the Transformation Agenda and Transformation Panel:

Transformation Panel Members

Transformation Panel Meeting Schedule

Transformation Panel Meeting Agendas

Transformation Panel Meeting Summaries

NYS BUDGET ANALYSIS

Advocacy, nyc fair, NYS Legislative Information

RESIDENTIAL SERVICES: The only new money set aside for residential services is $8 million all in (1/2 from the State and ½ from the Federal Government) for families who can no longer care for the loved ones at home, those in dire straits.

EMPLOYMENT: There is language in the budget that ensures that people currently in Sheltered Workshops have choices of where to work.

EARLY INTERVENTION: The need for more money for Early Intervention was ignored.

EDUCATION: There is still hope that the State Dept. of Education will put in a small increase in the 4410 and 853 schools these are the schools run by agencies that take on the children that the Dept. of Education cannot educate. All of this is subject to change.

Additional Analysis Coming

Self-Direction Community of Practice meeting with Kerry Delaney, Acting Comm., OPWDD

Advocacy, Resources, Self-Direction, ,

By Lynn Decker

On March 30th, about 30 NY Metro families met by video-conference with Acting Commissioner Kerry Delaney and Kate Marlay, Deputy Director. Division of Person-Centered Supports, and Kate Bishop, Director of Health and Community Support, Division of Person Centered Supports.  This gathering was organized through NY Metro SD Community of Practice and we thank Mary Somoza for securing the meeting.

The agenda included the reduction in compensation to Fiscal Intermediary agencies that took effect on October 1, 2014, along with a variety of other elements of that “re-invention” of Self-Direction.  OPWDD staff recognized that the FI Compensation is an issue demanding attention, but stated they will be unable to re-open it for consideration with CMS until there is a year of experience data to present, and that can’t occur until July 2015 at the earliest.  They reviewed several measures they are offering to FI agencies in the meantime to provide financial assistance in the interim, including the Balancing Incentives Program grants that were announced in February.

Also discussed were the reductions in the available Personal Resource Allocation for some participants under the new formula, and the restrictions on rates and licensure for certain clinical consultants to Self-Direction plans.  OPWDD staff sought details from families to assess the impact of the first of these and possible alternatives or solutions to the other.

Exclusion of Individually Directed Good and Services (IDGS) funding for settings that are ‘specialized’ rather than integrated, which many families stated were the only suitable programs for their family member at this time, was also discussed.  Non-traditional but disability-focused programs that offer enhanced supports for behavior or physical mods that make it possible to develop skills needed for success in integrated settings are desired by many families, but excluded from Self-Direction funding.  OPWDD staff were less receptive to these concerns, saying that such settings needed to be made integrated in order to qualify for IDGS funds.

And finally, the inadequacy of the housing subsidy formula for any market priced housing in areas well served by transit was raised, along with inadequate support to access existing affordable housing offerings that may be appropriate.  The role of housing discrimination when approaching a potential landlord with documentation of housing subsidy on the basis of disability was also raised.

The commissioner expressed broad general recognition of family concerns and promised a face-to-face meeting with this group in the future.

If you or your family member are eligible for OPWDD funded services and wish to pursue Self-Direction with Budget Authority, you may request to join the google group for this parent effort at https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/ny-metro-self-direction-community-of-practice

Lynn Decker

Executive Board Member, NYC FAIR
lynn_decker@me.com

URGENT ACTION ALERT: TODAY & TOMORROW! ACT NOW

Action Alerts, Advocacy

(Thanks again to Margaret Puddington for this..)

Please share with your groups & programs!

This is our last chance to influence the budget!  Call today and tomorrow (3/23 and 3/24), even if you’ve already called.

Despite the fact that there is more than a $7 billion surplus in the State plus an additional $300 million in revenue, neither the State Assembly nor the Senate has recommended additional funding for services for people with developmental disabilities!

FAMILIES CANNOT BE CAREGIVERS FOREVER, AND SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES MUST BE SAVED!

 

MAKE 4 QUICK CALLS RIGHT NOW:

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie: (518) 455-4800

Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos: (518) 455-3171

Your State Senator: Senate Switchboard: (518) 455-2800.  To find out who your Senator is, go to: www.nysenate.gov/senators.

Your State Assembly Member: Assembly Switchboard: (518) 455-4100. To find out who your Assemble Member is, go to: http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/search/.

 

TELL THEM TO FIGHT FOR:

  1. $30 million in funding for development of residences and other vital services for people living at home with families struggling to meet their needs

  1. An increase of $37 million for 4410 Special Education Preschools for 3-5 year-olds, and an increase of $20 million for 853 Special Education programs for children ages 5-21. These programs will close their doors without additional revenue now.

  1. A 4.8% increase for Early Intervention services for infants and toddlers with developmental disabilities. Many Early Intervention programs have already closed because of insufficient funding.

Thank You!

ATTENTION PARENTS, SIBLINGS, SELF ADVOCATES “BUS TRIP TO ALBANY” (Sponsored by Queens FSSAC)

Action Alerts, Advocacy, Queens

ATTENTION PARENTS, SIBLINGS, SELF ADVOCATES

“BUS TRIP TO ALBANY”

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2015

7:00AM – 8:00PM

WE MUST REACH OUT TO OUR SENATORS

AND ASSEMBLY PERSONS

PLEASE BRING YOUR LOVED ONE IF

POSSIBLE!

RSVP: ASAP

Judy Gleason – 646-591-0796 Email – thejud@aol.com

We are meeting with Assembly Woman Gunther who is the Chair of the Committee for the DD population and Senator Avella who is definitely supporting us. He’s area included the DDRO property until he complained about selling off the land. It was given to some other Senator. We are asking for a voice in the use of a portion of the land for housing in a gated protected area for our KIDS. Right now they are putting individuals in Psych wards until a appropriate home becomes available. One young man was in for one year. Another young lady was drugged until she needed diapers for three months. I call that a restricted environment!!!p