An Important Message from Commissioner Neifeld
Dear Friends and Colleagues –
It is with heartfelt sadness that I write today to announce my plan to resign from the position of Commissioner at the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities effective at the end of June. Serving as your Commissioner over the last two and a half years has been a true privilege and a personal and professional high point. It has been my honor to serve amongst the dedicated and committed professionals within this organization and along side you – inspiring self-advocates, family members and loved ones, and provider organizations. Since my first day in this office, I have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and the gracious way that this community has embraced me and taught me. It will be hard, perhaps impossible, for me to find another professional role that will be as fulfilling and important as this one has been.
At this time, I am choosing to scale back my professional life in exchange for taking a bigger role in supporting my family. Many of you know the difficulties faced by working parents and since returning from my recent maternity leave, I have found those difficulties to be more pronounced and harder to balance.
Although I am sad to leave my post as Commissioner, I am confident that the incredible work of this agency will continue forward. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership we have invested significantly in our system, adding hundreds of millions of dollars in new funding, releasing a bold Strategic Plan that charts a progressive course for our system, continued to invest in agency and system infrastructure and have begun reviewing and making improvements to foundational programs like care coordination, self-direction and others. These commitments and improvements will continue – all designed to support the lives of people with developmental disabilities by increasing access to high quality services that foster independence and integration.
The leadership and staff at this agency are amazing and they have my full confidence and support as they continue their incredible work, and so do all of you as you remain committed and vocal advocates for what is best for yourselves, your loved ones and those you serve. Following my departure, Executive Deputy Commissioner Willow Baer will serve as the Acting Commissioner. I am confident in Willow’s ability to lead the agency.
I remain eternally grateful to Governor Hochul for her leadership and for giving me the opportunity to serve New Yorkers in this capacity. I would like to thank every self-advocate, family member and loved one, provider, DSP and all the OPWDD and provider staff who have welcomed me into your homes, your programs and who have shared your stories with me. I wish you all the very best and hope to see many of you in the months between now and when I leave the office. In the meantime, you are welcome to reach out to me directly via email if you would like to connect: kerri.e.neifeld@opwdd.ny.gov
Sincerely yours,
Kerri Neifeld
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.
ENYDDA 