New York – Under the leadership of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, the New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) has spent the past year engaging in unprecedented public outreach with the people that the agency supports, their family members, agency providers and the general public. The goal of this outreach was to inform the creation of a system that will meet the needs of people as they participate more fully in their communities and assist those living at home with their families in accessing needed supports.

Acting Commissioner Kerry A. Delaney convened a panel of experts early in 2015 to discuss the ongoing transformation of OPWDD’s service delivery system from institutional based supports to community-based services that provide more flexibility, options and opportunities for integration based on the wants, needs and strengths of each person. The Transformation Panel, a group of individuals, parents, providers, Legislators and other experts in the field were called together to provide their insight and advice on implementing sustainable system-wide change.

The Transformation Panel today released recommendations to the Legislature entitled “Raising Expectations, Changing Lives” that are the result of this year of significant outreach, data collection and analysis with the end goal being a strategic implementation plan that is expected to be ready for public release by summer.

Some of the immediate actions that are being taken include dedicating a portion of the $120 million for new or expanded opportunities proposed in Governor Cuomo’s Executive Budget to meet the needs of people living at home with their families, allocating $10 million for residential supports to plan for those with high levels of need that are not yet in an emergency or crisis situation and an immediate review of the impact of rate transformation on the sustainability of the OPWDD service system.

“The Transformation Panel has been instrumental in identifying the challenges we need to address

and the opportunities we can seize on to help people with developmental disabilities live the fullest lives possible, helping them thrive in the community, as citizens, neighbors and friends,” said Acting Commissioner Delaney. “Much of OPWDD’s transformative efforts in 2016 will be based on the feedback we received from our valued stakeholders, most importantly the people who receive our services and supports, and their family members, as well as the Transformation Panel.”

The recommendations of the Transformation Panel are separated into eight topic areas that are important to people with developmental disabilities, their family members and providers of services including: Residential Support; Employment & Life in the Community; Self-Determination; Supporting Staff; Supporting Family; Funding & Performance; Flexibility & Responsiveness; and Care Management & Assessment.

There are sixty-one total recommendations included in the report, some examples include:

• Engage in comprehensive community outreach to help the public be welcoming of people with developmental disabilities in the community.
• Develop a Five Year Plan for meeting housing needs.
• Ensure continuity of employment for those in sheltered workshops.
• Implement the START crisis response model statewide to ensure access to community-based crisis support.
• Make new funding available dedicated to those living at home.

The full recommendations are publicly available on OPWDD’s website.

“The Governor’s Transformation Panel has worked to identify the formidable challenges ahead as well as key initiatives that must be implemented to build upon New York’s successes of the past while adapting to a changing world so that even those with the most significant disabilities will continue to have their needs met,” said Susan Constantino, President & CEO of Cerebral Palsy Associations of New York State.

"The Administration deserves great credit for creating the Transformation Panel, thereby providing a forum for rational, planful dialogue about the future of this critically important system in a time of uncertainty," said Michael Seereiter, President and CEO of the NYS Rehabilitation Association. "That dialogue has resulted in a promising set of draft recommendations that, when implemented, can lay the ground work for long-term sustainability in the provision of supports that allow individuals with developmental disabilities to lead fulfilling lives as members of their community."

“Acting Commissioner Delaney should be credited for engaging and involving people with disabilities, their family members and providers to create a sustainable system for the future of services and supports for people with developmental disabilities. As a parent and as a member of the Transformation Panel, it was an honor to take part in a process that is so important to guaranteeing the future of services for our loved ones,” said Nick Cappoletti, Developmental Disabilities Advisory Council Chairperson and Parent.

“The Transformation Panel has spent the past ten months dissecting all facets of supports to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families,” said Peter Pierri, Executive Director of the InterAgency Council of Developmental Disabilities Agencies, Inc. “Implementing these recommendations is vital to ensuring a future which encompasses sufficient employment, housing and daytime opportunities are a reality for all.”

Working in close partnership with a network of 750 voluntary provider agencies, OPWDD continues to ensure that quality services are delivered to over 130,000 people with developmental disabilities in New York State, including the 37,500 receiving residential supports, as the agency continues work to design a sustainable system for the future.