NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH)
March 2013
- New York City must restore funding for direct services for people with developmental disabilities.
New York City DOHMH is the agency that bears responsibility for providing services to city residents with developmental disabilities. City services fill a critical gap by serving many people who have developmental disabilities but do not qualify for services provided under the NYS Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD). For these people, there are no alternatives to the city-funded programs. City services are funded jointly by OPWDD and DOHMH.
Shamefully, the city’s contribution to the funding of these services has shrunk drastically over the last decade. While there have been occasional funding add-ons from City Council, these were for special projects and were for one year at a time.
Now the city has announced a nearly 20% cut to developmental disabilities services! This cut will completely eliminate the work readiness program, which prepares people with developmental disabilities for competitive employment—an eminently wise and prudent investment. People who are not eligible for OPWDD services will lose access to the very service that enables them to become productive, tax-paying city residents.
With this cut, New York City is virtually slamming the door on people with developmental disabilities, abandoning them at the worst possible time, just when a looming 6% cut threatens state-funded services. The city must honor its commitment to people with developmental disabilities and restore its funding for direct services.
City Funding for Autism Services
- The City Council must insist that its autism funding be made permanent.
The City Council has provided funding for a range of vital services for children and adults with autism and their families, including crisis intervention, socialization, afterschool, weekend respite, parent and teacher training and support, bilingual services, and outreach activities. Many individuals and families benefit enormously from these services.
This funding, which sunsets annually, should be made permanent. The autism programs have proven their worth: they have had a significant positive impact on the people who use them. Those who rely upon these specialized programs deserve the assurance that funding will continue.