November 2014
Dear Friends and Colleagues:
In October of 2013, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo unveiled the state’s plan to achieve full community integration for New Yorkers with disabilities with the findings of the Olmstead Development and Implementation Cabinet (Olmstead Cabinet), building on his track record of aggressively protecting and expanding New Yorkers’ civil rights.
Just over one year later, under the Governor’s leadership, New York’s state agencies serving people with disabilities have accomplished significant reforms, including the closure of institutions and the development of appropriate opportunities for individuals to lead fully integrated lives within their communities.
At the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), our transformation is well under way. One of the major goals of the Olmstead plan is to end reliance on institutional models of care by providing services in community based settings. OPWDD has supported that goal by closing and downsizing institutional facilities, bringing OPWDD’s total institutional population to under 600 individuals following the closure of Finger Lakes Developmental Center and Wassaic Developmental Center in December of 2013. In addition to these closures, over 130 individuals moved to community settings from the State’s remaining six developmental centers. The Intermediate Care Facility (ICF) transition plan is also helping individuals in the OPWDD system move from more restrictive environments to homes which are fully integrated in their community.
A second major goal of the Olmstead plan is to provide individuals with developmental disabilities the opportunity to work. Governor Cuomo’s Employment First Executive Order issued earlier this month supports this goal by making competitive, integrated employment the first option when considering supports and services for people with disabilities. OPWDD has finalized its Plan to Increase Competitive Employment and launched the Pathway to Employment service, which helps people explore career possibilities and enter into and retain competitive employment. We are currently building capacity and infrastructure to support individuals in competitive employment, including extensive service provider training and community outreach. The Workers with Developmental Disabilities Tax Credit will also go into effect for calendar year 2015, allowing businesses a tax credit for hiring people with developmental disabilities.
Another Olmstead plan goal is to ensure that every individual supported by OPWDD’s service system has the opportunity to direct their own supports by controlling their budget and self-hiring staff. OPWDD’s self-direction policy, which sets the vision and guides our efforts, has been finalized. The number of individuals self-directing has doubled to over 3,000 in the past year.
By implementing the findings of New York’s Olmstead plan, OPWDD has become a national leader in transitioning people out of institutional settings and providing people with disabilities the opportunity to self-direct their own services and live, work, play and otherwise contribute to their communities.
Our work is not finished, but we have made significant progress and will continue to work towards our goal of providing everyone the opportunity to lead integrated lives in their communities.
Sincerely,
Kerry A. Delaney
Acting Commissioner