October 25, 2011
Dear Friends and Colleagues:
I am pleased to announce the release of this administration’s first six-month progress report, outlining efforts to reform our state’s vast system of care for more than 126,000 individuals with developmental disabilities.
Our first six months have focused on shoring up the system to ensure the health and safety of individuals in our care. Key areas of progress include:
• Nearly doubling the number of OPWDD employees whose termination the agency is seeking for abuse and neglect, which sends a strong message to good employees that the agency will hold those who engage in abuse fully accountable.
• Increasing the percentage of physical abuse allegations that have been reported to law enforcement from 16 to 93 percent, and the percentage of sexual abuse allegations reported to police from 75 to 98 percent.
• Standardizing expectations for all nonprofit providers, including implementing oversight of their safety, fiscal, and governance practices.
• Partnering with the Office of Fire Control and Prevention to ensure external controls and oversight of fire safety at group homes. Additionally, for the first time, standardizing fire safety practices at all state and nonprofit homes, including smoking policies, unannounced observations of evacuations and fire drills, and minimum requirements on fire safety training and drill reporting.
This report also outlines the continued actions we will undertake in the next six months—and over the long term—to improve services and opportunities for the growing number of individuals utilizing state and nonprofit programs through systems redesigns, including:
• Compiling and publishing online report cards for each of the more than 700 nonprofit providers across the state, providing grades on fiscal management, governance, and care compliance issues.
• Planning for implementation of the 1115 People First Waiver, which will move the system away from a one-size-fits-all model and empower individuals and families to have greater choice over the types of services they receive.
• A workforce-driven culture change initiative based on the concept of “collective mindfulness,” which ensures that all employees understand and share OPWDD’s values, recognize their responsibilities and obligations, and have the information and resources they need to do their jobs effectively.
The report is available on our homepage at www.opwdd.ny.gov. A limited number of print copies are also available if you respond to this email with your home mailing address.
Tracking our progress is important. And while the system is stronger and safer today, there is still much more to do. Your engagement has, and will continue to be, critical to strengthening our systems of care for people with developmental disabilities. Thank you for your ongoing assistance in helping us implement these crucial reforms.
Sincerely,
Commissioner Burke