NEWS FROM OPWDD’s TRANSFORMATION PANEL RE OUR MEETING ON MAY 19TH

“Yesterday I was at OPWDD for a meeting of the Transformation Panel. Although it was not on the formal agenda, the meeting opened with a discussion of NYC FAIR’s meeting last Tuesday evening. The members of the panel that had been in attendance (as well as Steve Kroll from NYSARC who had been on the phone ) spoke up empathetically about the issues they heard raised by families. After some discussion, Acting Commissioner Kerry decided she would like to hold several open family forums in several parts of the State this summer regarding the Transformation panel, so families will have direct input prior to the committee making any of its preliminary recommendations. If you recall the original plan was to have these forums in the Fall after the panel’s preliminary recommendations were published, so families could react to them. Instead she now wants the family input prior to the committee even creating its preliminary recommendations…. The details have yet to be worked out.. I just wanted you to know that the panel wholeheartedly endorsed her suggestion.. Pete”

Peter Pierri, Executive Director
IAC
InterAgency Council of Developmental Disabilities Agencies, Inc.