Georgetown University to Host Family Listening Sessions

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

Join Us on Tuesday, October 1st

Join OPWDD for New York State’s 3rd Annual DREAM (Disability Rights & Employment Awareness Month) Symposium on Tuesday, October 1, hosted by Governor Hochul’s Chief Disability Officer Kimberly Hill Ridley. The event will be held at the Empire State Plaza’s Concourse from 8 am until 5 pm.

OPWDD is proud to be one of the state agencies sponsoring this symposium which celebrates the value people with disabilities bring to the workforce and provides an opportunity to match prospective qualified candidates with employers.

This year the Keynote Speaker will be Mindy Scheier, Founder and CEO of Runway of Dreams.

There will be an in-person job fair and workshops on a range of topics pertaining to employment. 

All – This is a follow-up reminder to anyone interested in providing input in a more structured way to the Coalition for Whole Person Supports. We are especially interested in input from self-advocates, families, and providers. There are two groups that will be providing more formal input: the advisory group and the steering group. The latter will take input from the advisory board and may eventually produce recommendations for models that support more whole person care. Volunteering does not mean you are signing on to a position, but we do want you to be open to models that are more holistic in their approach to supporting people with I/DD.  Both groups will be reviewing various models and prototypes of supports and the steering committee may eventually develop recommendations for change. Volunteering for either group will require about a half-dozen hours of your time between mid-October and the end of the calendar year for meetings and conversations.

If you are interested, please complete this form by next Friday, October 4^th. 

Selection Process: A smaller group, consisting of at least 1 self-advocate, 1 parent, 1 provider, and 1 knowledgeable but un-impacted party will be convened to help with the selection process for both the steering group and advisory group. Below is more detail and a proposed overview of each group. Once members for each group are selected, the members of each group will be allowed to further refine and shape their roles and procedures. The following is our proposal for the functions of each group:

Proposed Functions of Steering Committee

1. The steering committee will develop and vote to finalize the following core components of the coalition:
   • Key principles of the Coalition for Whole Person Supports
   • Coalition administrative matters, such as the management of the website
   • Oversee the work of the coalition related to policy analysis and partnerships with other organizations
2. The steering committee will also be responsible for the development of policy recommendations to be provided to NYS that primarily focus on the models of integrated care that the coalition reviews. 
3. Serve as representation for the providers, individuals, and families within the region they are nominated from by aggregating ideas and feedback to include in the deliberation process and recommendations.

Proposed Functions of Advisory Board

1. The advisory board will provide input to the steering committee on various policy recommendations and whole person care models reviewed by the coalition. This input will include:
   • Support for the model(s) and contextualizing the models with the real-world issues the model(s) may solve
   • Opposition to the model(s) along with justifications for why the model(s) will present a challenge for the system
   • Implementation considerations for each model and policy recommendation under consideration
2. The advisory board will also raise issues in the field that the coalition should address and consider, as they pertain to whole person care. This will include the identification of additional models for review and analysis by the coalition including the entire advisory board and the steering committee 

Again – Thank you for interest and willingness to consider serving on one of these groups. We hope these efforts, at minimum, help to further a conversation about ways to improve supports with the end goal being supports and services that better meet all the needs of individuals with I/DD.

Courtney Burke
Sachs Policy Group

This 60-minute webinar provided by Justice Center Prevention and Quality Improvement staff offers an overview of abuse prevention resources available on the Justice Center website.Thursday, October 10, 2024 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Register Now

Justice Center Abuse Prevention Resources

This 60-minute webinar provided by Justice Center Prevention and Quality Improvement staff offers an overview of abuse prevention resources available on the Justice Center website.

Thursday, October 10, 2024 

11 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Register Here

Davin Robinson

She/Her/Hers

Deputy Director

Outreach, Prevention and Support

Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs

161 Delaware Avenue, Delmar, New York 12054

518-549-0223 | davin.robinson@justicecenter.ny.gov

www.justicecenter.ny.gov

Dear Friends,

On behalf of OPWDD and the American Institutes for Research, I am pleased to share an opportunity for people with lived disability experience and their family members to provide feedback on your experiences with care management.

OPWDD currently has a contract with the American Institutes for Research to conduct an independent evaluation of the Care Coordination program. The goal of the evaluation is to learn what parts of the program are working well and what areas could be improved.  

We know that those of you who interact on a regular basis with Care Coordination Organizations and care managers can help us understand how we can strengthen care management going forward. We hope you will take a few moments to participate in the Care Coordination Evaluation survey. The online survey will be open until August 26, 2024.

To participate in the survey visit: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7823011/OPWDDCareCoordinationSurvey

Learn more about this project at https://opwdd.ny.gov/american-rescue-plan-act-arpa.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts about this important service.

Thank you,

Willow Baer
Acting Commissioner

There is still time to join us for one of our 2024 Strategic Planning Forums to share your feedback on our 2023 – 2027 Strategic Plan. At each forum OPWDD staff will provide updates on our Strategic Plan, respond to pre-submitted questions, and listen to your feedback during our public comment period.

There are two remaining opportunities to attend in-person forums and two opportunities to participate in statewide virtual forums.

In-Person Forums

To participate in an in-person forum, visit our website where you can register, submit questions, and sign up for public comment.

• Hudson Valley (Rockland) June 18, 4:30 – 6:30 PM New City Library – High Tor Mtg. Room 220 N Main St. New City, NY 10956
• NYC (Bronx) July 9, 11 AM – 1 PM Lefrak Auditorium of the Price Center Albert Einstein College of Medicine 1301 Morris Park Ave. Bronx, NY 10461

REGISTER FOR AN IN-PERSON FORUM HERE

Virtual Forums

To register to participate in one of the virtual forums, use the links below.

• Virtual Forum Daytime, July 22, 11 AM – 1 PM Register link:https://meetny-events.webex.com/weblink/register/r5c58c0f74ebeb1975a4b256b3b3da8ca
• Virtual Forum Evening, July 24, 6 PM – 8 PM  Register link: https://meetny-events.webex.com/weblink/register/r7652c75ee92167b19aa21820e8242d04

MEMBER AND FAMILY FORUM

SUPPORTED DECISION-MAKINGOnline Tuesday, May 14, 6–7 p.m.  Supported Decision-Making (SDM) is when people with disabilities get help from trusted people to make decisions. They still keep all their rights. In New York, SDM is seen as a legally recognized, less restrictive alternative to guardianship. Join us to learn more about this option. REGISTER NOW Questions? Contact Member Relations.

OPWDD Townhall Meeting
on Future Planning

Your Opportunity to Be Heard

The Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) is hosting discussions designed to hear from people with IDD and their families to inform future planning. LIFEPlan CCO encourages you to participate in these upcoming discussions. It is important for your voices to be heard. We want our Members with IDD to get access to quality healthcare and disability support services when they
need them.

We strongly encourage you to join one of the meetings below to tell OPWDD what is and is not working in the current system.  

Examples of topics you might share

• Do you struggle to find doctors or providers who will accept Medicaid?
  • Primary care providers
  • Specialists – neurology, cardiology, GI, etc.
  • Behavioral health, Autism services, e.g., behavior analysts
  • Dentists
• Do you have difficulty finding medical providers who understand the unique needs of people with autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and other intellectual and developmental disabilities?

• What disability supports and services have been difficult to access?
  • Respite and family reimbursement
  • Residential options to live in the community – planning for long-term needs
  • Supports living at home
  • Community services
  • Employment for people with IDD
• Are there barriers to getting services and supports that need to be fixed?
  • Delays in eligibility determinations
  • Delays in approval for services
  • Long waitlists to receive services
  • Qualified staff not available
• If you use self-direction, does it meet your needs? How can it work better?
• What services and supports do you expect to need in the future that you worry won’t be there when you need them?
  • People with aging caregivers
  • People who age out of the school system (age 22+)
• Are there supports and services that you/your family member need that are not available today?

Please be sure to share what is working for you, that you would like to stay the same, and what can be improved.

Be part of the change and sign up for one of the sessions below!

October 2 | 1:00 – 2:30 p.m.

October 2 | 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

October 6 | 1:00 – 2:30 p.m.

October 6 | 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

October 10 | 1:00 – 2:30 p.m.

October 10 | 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.