People with Developmental Disabilities, Office for

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Agency Web Site: https://opwdd.ny.gov/

Mission

The mission of the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) is to help individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities live richer lives. OPWDD’s vision is to ensure that individuals enjoy meaningful relationships with family, friends, and others; experience personal health and growth; live in homes of their choice; and fully participate in their communities.

Organization and Staffing

The Executive Budget recommends a year-end workforce target of 18,572 FTEs.

Budget Highlights

The FY 2021 Executive Budget recommends, in total, approximately $5.0 billion in All Funds appropriations, including $2.6 billion for Aid to Localities, $2.2 billion for State Operations and $109 million for Capital Projects, which represents a $171 million increase from FY 2020. The increase supports new investments in OPWDD program priorities, expansion of supportive housing capacity, increased costs related to the minimum wage, funding to support targeted compensation increases, and anticipated agency operating costs.

OPWDD will utilize this funding to support a comprehensive system of care that serves 140,000 New Yorkers and their families. These resources will continue to support OPWDD's person-centered model, which delivers services through a network of State-operated and NFP-operated settings.

This Budget continues the State’s pledge to support individuals with developmental disabilities in the most appropriate community-based settings, and reflects a 3.5 percent annual increase in appropriation. Specifically, the Executive Budget will:

• Allocate $120 Million for Program Priorities, Including New Service Opportunities. For the seventh consecutive year, the Executive Budget includes State resources that could leverage up to a total of $120 million in new funding on an annualized basis. This investment supports OPWDD priority program reforms, individuals entering into the system for the first time and seeking to access services and individuals already receiving services but whose needs have changed. OPWDD has leveraged new funding and other resources to:

• Expand the Availability of Certified Housing Supports in the Community. OPWDD operates a robust community-based residential program, offering residential services and supports based on an individual's needs, goals and preferences in order to support each individual in the most integrated community setting possible. The State and its network of not-for-profit provider agencies offer residential opportunities that provide 24/7 supervision as well as homes that offer less intensive staffing supports in one of the largest community-based residential programs in the country. In total, OPWDD currently supports 37,000 individuals in certified community-based residential programs funded with $5.1 billion in public resources annually.

• Support More Independent Living. OPWDD also supports people with developmental disabilities to live as independently as possibly by providing rental subsidies to individuals who wish to live in an apartment in their community. Since FY 2013, OPWDD has more than doubled the number of people who are authorized to receive rental subsidies, bringing the total to more than 6,400 individuals.

• Provide More Day Program and Employment Options. Day and employment services are a crucial aspect of offering participants the personal, social, and vocational supports needed to live in their community. Day and employment services vary depending on the needs and interests of the individual and support them in fully participating in their communities. OPWDD has invested significantly in these services and enhanced the array of available employment readiness programs over the past five years. There are currently almost 74,000 enrollments in day and employment supports.

• Increase Respite Availability. Respite services provide temporary relief to family caregivers, helping people with developmental disabilities live at home with their families for longer periods. Respite can be provided in the home or out of the home, during the day, evenings or overnight and often helps families better meet the needs of their loved one with a developmental disability. Currently, there are nearly 46,000 individuals enrolled in respite services, representing an increase of over 21 percent over the past five years.

• Promoting Choice in Service Options. Self-Direction provides the opportunity for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities to select a combination of OPWDD-authorized services and supports based on their strengths and needs. This is accomplished by providing enrollees with individualized budgets that are used to purchase the services they choose, the staff and/or organizations that provide them, and a schedule that works for them. Under the leadership of Governor Cuomo, OPWDD has prioritized investments in Self-Direction and increased the number of enrollees to nearly 16,000.

• Fund Not-for-Profit Provider Salary Increases. The FY 2021 Executive Budget includes additional funding to leverage $211 million, an annual increase of $44 million, to support the minimum wage and related fringe benefit cost increases associated with the movement to a $15 an hour living wage. Additionally, the Executive Budget includes resources to leverage $153 million, an annual increase of $122M, to support compensation increases for direct care and clinical staff at not-for-profits licensed, certified, or otherwise authorized by OPWDD, OMH and OASAS. This reflects the continuation of the FY 2020 Enacted Budget commitment to provide resources to fund the equivalent of a 2 percent salary increase, and related salary-sensitive benefits to direct care and direct support workers beginning January 1, 2020. Also, the equivalent of a 2 percent salary increase and related salary-sensitive benefits to direct care, direct support and clinical staff effective April 1, 2020.

• Commit an Additional $15 Million to Develop Housing. The FY 2021 Executive Budget continues to support the expansion of independent living opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Over the last several years, the State has invested in OPWDD’s effort to develop safe and accessible residential opportunities. Cumulatively, the State has invested $80 million for this purpose, including an additional $15 million in FY 2021. These funds are distinct from resources that are available from the five-year, $20 billion affordable and supportive housing plan, which is also helping support the development of residential opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

• OPWDD Transition to Managed Care. In July 2018, OPWDD successfully transitioned to an enhanced care coordination model through the development of regional Care Coordination Organizations (CCOs), a necessary first step in transforming the service delivery system. Guidance regarding the requirements and standards to serve individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD) in Specialized I/DD Plans - Provider Led (SIP-PL) is expected to be released for public comment soon. Responses to this qualifications document will be used to better inform the agency on the system's readiness for Managed Care and the fiscal impacts. The State will assess the potential effectiveness and sustainability of the proposed delivery system to ensure individuals continue receiving appropriate services in the most cost-effective manner.

• Promote More Efficient Use of State Resources. In FY 2021, OPWDD will seek to leverage federal Medicaid funding, utilize other supplemental aid where available and take other actions to more cost-effectively support the provision of person-centered programs.

• Improve Accountability and Oversight. The Executive Budget also includes legislation that provides OPWDD with the authority to issue operating certificates to providers of certain State Plan Medicaid services that are targeted to providing supports to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The authority to issue operating certificates will ensure that the highest quality supports are being provided in accordance with programmatic requirements through data reporting and other means.

For more information on this agency's budget recommendations located in the Executive Budget Briefing Book, click on the following link:

Briefing Book – Mental Hygiene (PDF)

Program Highlights

• Residential Services: Residential programs are licensed by OPWDD to provide varying levels of housing and related services, and are operated by OPWDD or nonprofit agencies. Residential services include, but are not limited to: adaptive skill development; assistance with activities of daily living; community inclusion and relationship building; training and support for independence in travel; adult educational supports; and development of social, leisure, self-advocacy, informed choice and appropriate behavioral skills.

• Day Programs: Day programs include: day habilitation, community habilitation and employment type services, each focused on giving participants the personal, social and vocational supports needed to live in their community. Programming varies depending upon each person’s unique needs and interests. These services aim to assist individuals to acquire, retain or improve their self-help, socialization and adaptive skills, including communication, travel and other areas of adult education.

• Clinic Services: Clinic Services include: physical therapy, occupational therapy, psychology, speech and language pathology, medical/dental services and health care services. These services assist individuals with developmental disabilities in maintaining the effectiveness of the treatment, enabling the individual to remain in his/her current residential setting and enhancing the individual’s quality of life.

• All Other Services: These include a variety of different service options for individuals and families, such as self-direction, respite, care coordination, and family counseling.

Note: Most recent estimates as of 01/29/2020

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