Dear Friends and Colleagues,

As you may have heard, the New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) is moving forward with a new initiative aimed at enhancing care coordination for people with developmental disabilities. Through this initiative, called People First Care Coordination, healthcare, behavioral health, and other community services will be coordinated—in addition to the OPWDD services a person receives—in a single “Life Plan”. People First Care Coordination builds on the current service coordination model to offer greater simplicity, improved follow-up, and a person-centered planning approach that considers the whole person.

As part of our continuing outreach and information-sharing regarding People First Care Coordination, we are pleased to announce a webinar on Monday, August 7 for individuals and families served through the OPWDD system. This online presentation will describe plans for the move to enhanced care coordination, as well as provide the reasons for this shift and a timeline of anticipated next steps.

If you would like to attend this webinar, please note that advance registration is required. You may register by clicking this link. To experience the full webinar, both an Internet-connected computer and telephone are required. If you do not have access to a computer, you can also connect with just a telephone and listen to the presentation. For those who are unable to attend, once the webinar is completed, a recording will be posted to the OPWDD website for viewing.

In the meantime, if you would like more information, please visit the People First Care Coordination section of the OPWDD website and feel free to submit any feedback you have about People First Care Coordination to care.coordination@opwdd.ny.gov. The website also includes links to the draft application that entities seeking designation as Care Coordination Organizations will be required to submit. The application lays out the standards and requirements for Care Coordination Organizations in the OPWDD system. Comments on the draft application can be submitted until August 4.

We are making strides toward enhancing person-centered planning and taking a more holistic approach in our system and your continued involvement assures your participation as we move into the future. I hope you will join us to learn more about the People First Care Coordination initiative by registering at this link.

Sincerely,

Kerry A. Delaney

Acting Commissioner