Best Practices for Choking Prevention Studies have shown that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are nearly 11 times more likely to die from respiratory-related conditions, often linked with difficulties swallowing (dysphagia), choking, and aspiration.From January 1, 2020, through June 2022, the Justice Center received nearly 1,000 reports of food-related choking incidents. This toolkit was developed to provide agencies with resources to help develop and implement policies and practices to prevent these incidents.

Read Here Visit Our Abuse-Prevention Blog!We’ve launched a blog! Now, readers can access all the content featured in our toolkits, plus much more, in a brief, user-friendly format. Follow the link to check it out! Visit the Blog

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I am excited to share that OPWDD is beginning our work with Vibrant Brands, Inc. to develop and launch a statewide marketing recruitment campaign to elevate and grow the direct support workforce.

No challenge before us is more urgent than the need to make sure OPWDD and our non-profit provider partners have the staffing required to support New Yorkers with developmental disabilities.

Through a Request for Proposals issued earlier this year, we have selected Vibrant Brands, Inc. to help us research and design an effective campaign to inform the public about the value Direct Support Professionals bring to our communities and connect qualified, compassionate job seekers to this rewarding field. Vibrant brings 20 years of experience in marketing for non-profit organizations, with an extensive focus on helping them recruit for Direct Support Professionals, nurses and other healthcare professionals.

Working with a diverse group of advisors made up of self-advocates, non-profit provider agency representatives, family members and OPWDD staff, Vibrant will develop a statewide media campaign that promotes the field of direct support for people with developmental disabilities. Its purposes are two-fold ─ to grow a common understanding and appreciation for this meaningful work and to develop an interactive website that will connect new workforce candidates to job opportunities with service providers throughout the state.  

Workforce shortages continue to impact the lives of people with developmental disabilities. I know these shortages are impacting all of you. Over the last year, OPWDD has launched several initiatives aimed at supporting the direct support workforce, including direct bonus payments to workers for their service during the COVID pandemic and working with The National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals and the State University of New York to launch, and engage students in, new educational opportunities across the state.

In addition, OPWDD is working with the New York Alliance for Inclusion and Innovation to provide technical assistance to service providers throughout the state. This effort has engaged service providers in organizational self-assessments to help them become more effective in their recruitment and retention and a community-of-practice that will support enhanced workforce practices.

The marketing recruitment campaign will complement these efforts in an important way by directly reaching job candidates in all parts of the state with a compelling invitation and opportunity to join our mission and embark on an impactful career. The campaign will engage new pools of job candidates, including New Americans, high school students, college students seeking part-time work or careers in human services, second-career job candidates and others.

Our work to strengthen and support the direct support workforce will continue every day. There is much more to do. As OPWDD recognized National Direct Support Professional week last month, it was my privilege to meet and speak with many DSPs. As always, I was heartened and humbled by their tremendous personal commitment to their work. Hearing the stories of their challenges and their accomplishments encourages me to continue advancing the work we need to do as an agency – in partnership with all of you – to support people with developmental disabilities and the dedicated professionals who work passionately to help them succeed.

Sincerely,

Kerri E. Neifeld
Commissioner

Code of Conduct and Champion Award Winners AnnouncedThe Justice Center recently announced its 2023 Code of Conduct and Champion Award winners. These awards honor individuals and groups who work tirelessly to improve the lives of individuals with special needs in New York State.This year’s program comes on the heels of the Justice Center’s 10-year anniversary – a major milestone in the agency’s mission to protect vulnerable populations from abuse and neglect. Those honored during the 2023 Code of Conduct and Champion Awards truly embody the Justice Center’s founding principles and ethical standards outlined in the Code of Conduct for Custodians of People with Special Needs.The Justice Center received more than 100 nominations for this year’s program, selecting four Champion Award winners and six Code of Conduct Award winners. Each submission was accompanied by stories straight from the service industry that uniquely characterized the dedication of our NYS workforce.Thank you to all who made this year’s awards so special! To view a list of the 2023 award recipients, click here. A full recording of this year’s ceremony along with information on the program can be found in the link below.

View Webpage

Free Training AvailableThe Justice Center is offering free train-the-trainer courses for the Code of Conduct.  This interactive, three-hour webinar provides participants with tools they can share with new and experienced staff to prepare them to understand, utilize, and practice the Code of Conduct.Available  October 26 and November 15.Register Now Link Up With UsWant to keep up more regularly with Justice Center news?  Join us on LinkedIn!  The agency page features professional events, staff spotlights, announcements, and more.  We also regularly feature opportunities to start or continue your career by joining the Justice Center’s staff!  Make sure to follow the Justice Center on LinkedIn and connect with us regularly!Access Here Individual & Family Support SessionsLearn how the Justice Center supports individuals receiving services and their families, including during the investigation process.  Our advocates will also discuss self-care and how to create a self-care plan.Available sessions will take place October 16, 17 & 18Register Now

New Prevention Toolkit on Choking Prevention ReleasedThe Justice Center tracks trends in reports made to the agency, identifying areas where preventative measures may help stop incidents from happening. Between 2020 and 2022, the Justice Center received nearly 1,000 reports of choking incidents. Studies show that individuals with developmental disabilities are nearly 11 times more likely to die from respiratory-related conditions, often linked with difficulties with swallowing and choking. To address this trend, the Justice Center produced the Spotlight on Prevention toolkit: Best Practices for Choking Prevention. It provides resources to help develop and implement policies and practices to prevent these incidents from occurring. The toolkit includes trainings, sample policies, and case studies. It is available on the Justice Center’s website.See the ToolkitSign up for more content from the Justice CenterOnly receiving eNews right now? You can check out all the great newsletters we offer by visiting your personalized preferences page. There, you can subscribe to any and all content that the Justice Center offers. Manage your preferences here.

Comprehensive Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waiver Amendment- Amendment 14 Approved

OPWDD’s 1915(c) Comprehensive Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waiver Amendment, Amendment 14 has been approved by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to take effect October 1, 2023.

The HCBS Waiver is the Medicaid program that provides a range of services for adults and children with developmental disabilities in their own home or community.

The approved amendment to the HCBS Waiver, which was submitted for CMS approval following a formal public comment period that concluded on May 12, 2023, includes:

• Permanent adoption of certain provisions that were temporarily granted to address the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE). These specific provisions affect service rates, expansion of remote technology and continued limits on agency reimbursement for administrative costs.
• Making it easier to update rates and fees associated with the waiver services by placing them in tables that are posted on the NYS Department of Health’s website rather than including them specifically in OPWDD’s waiver agreement document.
• Support for OPWDD’s new risk stratified method for conducting on-site visits to certified waiver service locations.
• Modifications to the existing Assistive Technology – Adaptive Devices service to allow for a subset of services dedicated to Home-Enabling Supports.
• A return to hard limits for Assistive Technology (AT), Vehicle Modification (V-mod) and Environmental Modification (E-mod) services once American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds are fully exhausted or expired. This Waiver amendment also raises the funding thresholds for approval of AT, V-mod and E-mod services.

The changes are explained in plain language in our updated document “HCBS Waiver Amendment – October  2023” which can be found on our agency website.   

In addition, a copy of the approved October 1, 2023, Waiver amendment, and OPWDD’s response to the public comment received, is available on the OPWDD website at:

https://opwdd.ny.gov/providers/home-and-community-based-services-waiver.

Additional guidance regarding these provisions will be provided over the next several weeks.

To view this announcement in another language, visit https://opwdd.ny.gov/news/comprehensive-home-and-community-based-services-hcbs-waiver-amendment-amendment-14-approved

Чтобы просмотреть это объявление на другом языке, посетите https://opwdd.ny.gov/news/comprehensive-home-and-community-based-services-hcbs-waiver-amendment-amendment-14-approved

অন্য ভাষায় এই ঘোষণা দেখতে, ওয়েবসাইট দেখুন https://opwdd.ny.gov/news/comprehensive-home-and-community-based-services-hcbs-waiver-amendment-amendment-14-approved

Pour voir cette annonce dans une autre langue, visitez https://opwdd.ny.gov/news/comprehensive-home-and-community-based-services-hcbs-waiver-amendment-amendment-14-approved

Pou wè anons sa nan yon lòt lang, vizite https://opwdd.ny.gov/news/comprehensive-home-and-community-based-services-hcbs-waiver-amendment-amendment-14-approved

Aby zobaczyć to ogłoszenie w innym języku, odwiedź stronę https://opwdd.ny.gov/news/comprehensive-home-and-community-based-services-hcbs-waiver-amendment-amendment-14-approved

要以其他语言查看此公告，请访问 https://opwdd.ny.gov/news/comprehensive-home-and-community-based-services-hcbs-waiver-amendment-amendment-14-approved

لرؤية هذا الإعلان بلغة أخرى، يرجى زيارة

https://opwdd.ny.gov/news/comprehensive-home-and-community-based-services-hcbs-waiver-amendment-amendment-14-approved

اس اعلان کو کسی دوسری زبان میں ملاحظہ کرنے کے لیے، ملاحظہ کریں۔

https://opwdd.ny.gov/news/comprehensive-home-and-community-based-services-hcbs-waiver-amendment-amendment-14-approved

이 내용을 다른 언어로 보려면을 방문하십시오 https://opwdd.ny.gov/news/comprehensive-home-and-community-based-services-hcbs-waiver-amendment-amendment-14-approved

Para ver este anuncio en otro idioma, visite https://opwdd.ny.gov/news/comprehensive-home-and-community-based-services-hcbs-waiver-amendment-amendment-14-approved

צו זען דעם מודעה אין אן אנדער שפּראַך, באַזוך:

https://opwdd.ny.gov/news/comprehensive-home-and-community-based-services-hcbs-waiver-amendment-amendment-14-approved

Si vuole vedere questo annuncio in un’altra lingua, può visitare https://opwdd.ny.gov/news/comprehensive-home-and-community-based-services-hcbs-waiver-amendment-amendment-14-approved

Albany Times Union, Thursday September 28, 2023

We want to thank the Times Union editorial board for sounding the alarm in the editorial “New York’s care crisis,” Sept. 10. The conclusion that the need is now and increasingly urgent is spot-on, but the editorial did not include the crisis in the developmental disabilities sector.

Save Our Services is a statewide group of family members and providers who advocate for increased funding to pay a living wage to direct-service professionals who support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Unfortunately, our pleas have, with a few limited exceptions, fallen on deaf ears.

Clarence Sundram, a nationally renowned expert on services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, described direct service professionals’ work: “One might summarize the job description as requiring the wisdom of Solomon, the patience of Job and the caring of Florence Nightingale.”

Yet direct-service professionals earn only a dollar or two above minimum wage. This was not always the case. In 2010, direct-service professionals’ starting pay was 50% above minimum wage.

Dramatic increases are needed to make up for a decade of neglect and stagnant wages. Additionally, while direct-service professionals employed by nonprofits provide 85% of services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, they earn substantially less than those employed by the state.

Gov. Kathy Hochul and the Legislature must include a substantial investment in direct-service professional wages in the upcoming state budget and, equally important, a plan to bring their wages to a level commensurate with what is required of them.

Karen Nagy- Rexford

Margaret Raustiala–Nissequogue

Members, Save Our Services

Albany Times Union, Saturday August 26,2023

By Andy Tsubasa Field

The July 19 letter sent by Catholic Charities Disabilities Services

Executive Director Paula Jubic, and obtained by the Times Union,

tells potential clients to withdraw help requests.

ALBANY — A leading nonprofit’s disability services department is turning away potential clients due to a lack of staff.

A July 19 letter sent by Catholic Charities Disabilities Services Executive Director Paula Jubic, obtained by the Times Union, tells potential clients to withdraw help requests. The letter said an ongoing staffing crisis has prevented the department from responding to all requests for services.

“Should you wish to reconsider services through CCDS in the future, your care manager can assist you in doing so, or you may choose to seek services through another agency providing these services which can address your needs in a timely manner,” the letter said.

Jubic said Catholic Charities Disabilities Services has 83 residential staff members, 70 fewer than needed to properly assist residents of its properties. She said the department temporarily closed two houses due to limited staffing and has considered shutting down another where five women who use wheelchairs live. For its largest 14- and 12-bed properties, she said her department is barely scraping by to meet a three-person fire safety standard.

“We’re not getting to people. If they need to go to the bathroom and there are only a few people on and there’s something going on with someone else, that person is waiting,” Jubic said. “And then you’re trying to do medication for 14 people at the same time and each person could have 10 different meds.”

Jubic said CCDS worked with the New York Alliance for Inclusion and Innovation to push for an 11.5 percent cost of living adjustment for those working in nonprofit programs. The actual increase was far lower, meaning the nonprofit could only raise service providers’ wages to $16.80 after undergoing training.

Additionally, Jubic said longtime staff retired during the pandemic, and others more recently have left for higher-paying jobs due to inflation. The staffing shortages have led to administrators covering provider shifts more frequently, she said.

“Weekly, like every week,” said Jubic, who has worked for Catholic Charities for 15 years. “I’ve never seen it to the likes of this.”

Catholic Charities is far from alone in facing staffing shortages.

Agencies that provide human services have for years complained that they don’t get enough state funding to attract enough employees to their workforces.

That problem may have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which prompted numerous retirements, and the inflation in recent years, which have forced people to seek as high a wage as possible.

In June 2022, Catholic Charities closed its Mercy House women and children’s shelter citing a falling headcount and difficulty staffing the 19-bed emergency shelter.