Your Voice Matters to OPWDD!

OPWDD is pleased to invite you to one of our 2025 Strategic Planning Forums.

Focused on the 2023 – 2027 OPWDD Strategic Plan and the agency’s progress to date, these forums are an opportunity for you to learn more about the agency’s work, tell us about your experience, and to share your thoughts and ideas for the future.

We hope to hear from self-advocates, families, and providers from a variety of backgrounds and from across the state at the forums.

Each forum will include:

• A brief update on OPWDD Projects & Activities from the past year
• Question & Answer session where you can submit your questions for OPWDD in advance
• Public Comment where you will be given three minutes to share your ideas and suggestions with OPWDD

Click a link to tell us you’ll be joining at one or more of the following events:

• Syracuse June 18, 3 PM – 5 PM
  • ACCESSCNY, 1603 Court Street, Syracuse, NY 13208
• Hudson Valley (Hyde Park) June 30, 4– 6 PM
  • New Horizons Resources, 3999 Albany Post Road, Hyde Park, NY 12538
• Long Island (Hauppauge) July 8, 1– 3 PM
  • OPWDD Regional Office, 415A Oser Ave. Hauppauge, NY 11788
• New York City (Brooklyn) July 9, 1– 3 PM
  • Brooklyn Heights Library, 286 Cadman Plaza West, Brooklyn, NY 11201
• Virtual Evening August 18, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
  • WebEx: You’ll receive a meeting invite and link when you register
• Virtual Day, August 19, 11 AM – 1 PM
  • WebEx: You’ll receive a meeting invite and link when you register

ASL and Live Interpretation available upon request.

We hope that you’re able to join us and look forward to hearing from you.

Navigating investigation and support services can feel challenging. We want to make sure you have all the information you need!  Join members of our Individual & Family Support Unit for a helpful, informative session on the many services and supports they provide to individuals receiving services, family members, and personal representatives during the investigation process. It’s your chance to have your questions answered and to learn more.  Who Should Attend: Individuals receiving services, family members, peer advocates, personal representatives, and provider and agency staff. Available webinar dates: April 29: Noon – 1 PMApril 30: 7 PM – 8 PMMay 1: Noon – 1 PMUse the link below to register for any of the sessions above.

Register Now Questions about the event? Please contact: jc.sm.outreachevents@justicecenter.ny.gov

CONSUMER DIRECTED ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (CDPAP) TRANSITION TO PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS Online Tuesday, February 25, 12-1 p.m. Attention CDPAP Consumers and Personal Assistants! The Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) is transitioning to Public Partnerships LLC (PPL) as the new statewide fiscal intermediary. We are holding forums with Public Partnerships (PPL) to discuss the steps members and their personal assistants need to take by 3/28/25 in order to continue to receive CDPAP services.

REGISTER NOW

Questions? Contact Member Relations.

The Justice Center for the Protection of People With Special Needs (Justice Center) will be hosting the NYS Justice Center 2025 Summit in March and April 2025. The event features several individual sessions covering policy updates, trends, and prevention materials. In addition, in-depth sessions on a variety of Justice Center programs will be available. The event is targeted for provider agencies under the jurisdiction of the Justice Center, individuals receiving services, families, peer advocates and other interested stakeholders.

Click on the links below for more information:Summary of Session TopicsAgenda and Presenters

This summit will be conducted over four dates in March and April, 2025. There are two sessions per day and each session will last approximately 1.5 hours. You may register for one or all of the sessions. There is no charge to attend.

Tuesday, March 25

SESSION 1: 10:30 a.m.Lifecycle of a Justice Center CaseSESSION 2: 2:00 p.m.Updates from the Justice Center

Thursday, March 27

SESSION 3: 10:30 a.m.Overview of Justice Center Prevention and Quality Improvement and Corrective Action Plans (CAP)SESSION 4: 2:00 p.m.Investigative Strategies for Justice Center Cases

Tuesday, April 1

SESSION 5: 10:30 a.m.Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities (TRAID): Communication Devices SESSION 6: 2:00 p.m.Overview of the Justice Center’s Individual and Family Support Services

Thursday, April 3

SESSION 7: 10:30 a.m.The Surrogate Decision-Making Committee Process: Best Practices from a Provider Perspective (Panel Discussion)SESSION 8: 2:00 p.m.Overview of Pre-Employment Checks for Service Providers

Click on the Register button to sign up for individual or all 8 sessions. Zoom links will be emailed prior to each session.

Register

You are LIMITED to registering one person.Do NOT use the same email for additional registrants. Don’t forget to add the session dates and times to your calendar!

If you wish to request a reasonable accommodation to participate in any of these sessions, please contact Justice Center Training at jctraining@justicecenter.ny.gov.

Questions about registration? Contact WRI at eventinfo@wrisolutions.org

www.justicecenter.ny.gov

OPWDD Self-Direction Town HallsTuesday, January 28 at 10 a.m. or Thursday, January 30 at 6 p.m. The Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) is working with Guidehouse, a consulting firm with experience in national and state healthcare, developmental disabilities, and Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS), to review OPWDD’s self-direction policies and processes, and provide recommendations to improve self-direction.   As part of the review and following the surveys that were conducted, Guidehouse and OPWDD will talk to self-advocates, family advocates, Care Coordination Organizations, Fiscal Intermediaries, Support Brokers, underrepresented groups, and other community partners about self-direction. Share your experience and register for one of the Town Hall meetings.

Tuesday, January 28 at 10:00 a.m.Click to register Thursday, January 30 at 6:00 p.m.Click to Register

An email from Vanessa P Lindo of OPWDD

Good afternoon Friends and Colleagues,

Your voice is essential. Sharing your story helps make a difference—not just for your family, but for all families across New York State.

Let’s build a more inclusive and equitable system together!

We can’t wait to hear from you at the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities Family Listening Sessions in 2025!

Please sign up for the Family listening sessions that are taking place in 2025.

To ensure accessibility, the sessions will be offered: In English and the 12 languages required by the New York State Language Access Law

Do you have a family member with an intellectual or other developmental disabilities (IDD) who receives supports and services now, has received them in the past, or has been unable to access supports and services? OPWDD wants to hear from all families in New York State across diverse racial, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, and other identity groups. Your thoughts and experiences matter!

REGISTER NOW!

Georgetown University National Center for Cultural Competence (NCCC) is conducting listening sessions (on Zoom and by telephone) for families of persons with IDD. The listening sessions are intended to hear about your experiences in accessing supports and services:

• based on your family’s cultural beliefs and practices,
• in your preferred language, and
• that are appropriate and fair for your family member with IDD.

Your experiences and insights are important. NCCC will listen to you and pass this information along to OPWDD. Your name will not be included in any of your comments. Sharing your thoughts and experiences will help OPWDD and its providers improve supports and services for persons with IDD.

To ensure accessibility, the sessions will be offered:

• In English and the 12 languages required by the New York State Language Access Law.
• In American Sign Language (ASL).

We understand the demands on your time. That’s why we’re offering sessions during the weekdays and on Saturdays to accommodate your schedules.

We appreciate the time you will devote to participating in a listening session. We will offer participants a $25 electronic gift card (one per family) to honor your time.

Space is limited! Register today and share with other families!

If you have any questions, please email us at OPWDDlistens-NCCC@georgetown.edu or call 202-784-0600.

REGISTER NOW!

For more information on the OPWDD-Georgetown University DEI initiative, visit:
https://nccc.georgetown.edu/opwdd/events.php