DD Council Meeting Minutes - 1/14/16

Posted February 1, 2016

Introductions were completed.

Minutes were approved; if you were unable to open them, or would like to refer to past minutes, they are available as always on the DD Council website:

(www.manhattanddcouncil.org).

III. Announcements : See Attachments

UCP of New York City
Vacancy list attached, along with information on the Family Reimbursement program, overnight respite, the save the date and registration information for the annual summit on March 10, 2016.

NYC FAIR
SWAN of NYS is a new organization dedicated to advocating for individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. See attached for details, or go to www.nycfair.org.

Catholic Guardian Services
See attached for information regarding the Community Resource and Transition Center.

QSAC
Program vacancy list attached.

YAI
Information attached for vacancy highlights. There will be an MSC training on 2/25/16. For more information about the Autism Family Support Series, an Adult Yoga group, psychological evaluations, and the MSC training, call YAI Link at 212-273-6182, email link@yai.org or go to www.yai.org/link.

Camp Oakhurst
The summer schedule has been updated. Emergency respite is also available. Go to www.nysh.org for more information.

AHRC NYC
Program vacancy list is attached.

Presentation on Doorways to Independence – Home Modifications, by Annie Rivera and Michelle Quigley, UCP of NYC

Annie Rivera, Director of Doorways to Independence, and Michelle Quigley, Director of Research, UCP NYC, explained that this program which addresses housing accessibility and home modifications for people with disabilities has a huge impact on families. With a variety of funding sources, the program is able to remove internal and external housing barriers, keep people out of nursing homes, facilitate hospital discharge planning, maintain family unity, and save money. The program provides external stairs, ramps, stair lifts, roll-in showers, automatic door openers, and much more. Their primary focus is on individuals who are elderly, medically fragile, under threat of relocating to more restrictive environment, and leaving a restrictive environment, below the federal poverty level, having substantial difficulties with ADLs.

Please see the attached power point for more information. DD Council January 2016 presentation UCP emods

State News – Donna Limiti

The Brooklyn Developmental Center closed on 12/31/15. The remaining individuals have moved out.
Respite Focus Groups: focus groups were conducted in all boroughs. There were many common themes, including the difficulty in obtaining services for people who use wheelchairs and for those with challenging behaviors. There appears to be sufficient respite capacity in NYC, though. Some of the obstacles to accessing respite include an insufficient rate, difficulty in hiring staff due to low salaries and unpredictable hours for some services, and the cost of transportation not being included. Several strategies were suggested to address some of the problems. It is likely that the groups will be reconvened to explore additional strategies.
An RFP has been distributed regarding transforming workshops into integrated models. Proposals are due January 2017. There will be a videoconference on 1/15/16 to discuss the guidance that was disseminated to the field. Donna stated that no people have been taken out of workshops without having another option.
Changes to Article 16 regulations that were to go into effect 1/1/16 have been delayed until 4/1/16. Offsite clinical services will no longer be available. Instead, clinics have identified other sites to be certified as satellite clinics; most satellites will be in day hab programs. If people are unable to leave their home for clinical services, they can access Independent Practitioner Services.
The HCBS waiver renewal plan is open for public comment until 1/25/16; however, that date may be pushed back. The renewal includes information about the HCBS settings transition plan and about FIDA.
There will be a change in the way OPWDD authorizes the delivery of waiver services for an agency. Authorization will be through the CON process and operating certificates will be issued, as opposed to authorization being indicated on a provider waiver agreement form. On 1/12 there was a videoconference to discuss the CON process, with a Part Two for agencies interested in providing nursing services in non-certified settings. OPWDD is in ongoing negotiations with the State Education Department over the Nurse Practice Act. To provide medication administration, a site must have an operating certificate. Community habilitation services will be covered as long as the agency itself has an operating certificate. Once an agency has the operating certificate, it can apply to receive approval to provide medication administration in non-certified settings.
The Transformation Panel has issued its recommendations, which are available on the OPWDD website for public comment until 1/22/16.
START: two agencies have been selected to administer the START programs. SUS will operate the program in Staten Island and Brooklyn; YAI in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Queens.
The Governor’s budget proposals were released 1/13/16. This is a flat budget with minor cash increase. Included is money for START implementation in NYC and Long Island; for new/expanded services for 6,000 people; for a 0.2% COLA; for developmental center closures (separate from the money for people living at home); for affordable housing.

City News – Sandra Piggee

Proposals are now being reviewed for the RFP for vocational services.

The roadmap is under discussion regarding which services, especially, developmental disabilities services will be supported.

IAC/Federation – Chris Treiber, Jim Malley

IAC:

Chris Treiber reported that NYS Division of the Budget approved only a 2% increase for the 4410 special education preschools instead of the 3.1% that was requested by the State Education Department. After over six years without an increase, programs are in fiscal crisis, with 2-3 programs closing this year, and 7 closures last year. The school districts are able to pay teachers significantly more than the 4410 preschools. Without a tuition increase, the ability of 4410s to compete with the salaries offered by school districts has deteriorated further than ever, and consequently, teachers and teaching assistants are leaving the 4410s for better pay in the UPK programs. Since July 1, 2015, IAC’s preschools have lost 42% to 67% of their teaching staff as well as 38% to 50%, of their teaching assistants. Providers are incurring tremendous yearly costs to pay for recruitment for staff turnover and the additional need for professional development. The 4410s are losing experienced staff who are going to UPK and will no longer work with students with disabilities. NYC UPK offers not only higher pay but also sign-on and retention bonuses plus pension. In addition, 4410s must have certified teachers, but UPK can take non-certified. The replacement rate at 4410s is now only 50%. Agencies are unable to find certified replacements. The availability of high-quality programs will be limited because agencies can no longer afford to operate.

IAC has been reacting strongly to the meager 2% increase and has let the State Education Department know about the alarming teacher losses. IAC held a preschool rally in Albany in August and is now conducting a letter-writing campaign on IAC’s capwiz on its website and on social media.

Jim Malley reported on additional recent IAC activities:

IAC staff will dissect the Executive Budget over the next two weeks.
We have heard that the governor’s proposal to increase minimum pay in the State University system is supported.
IAC has developed a tracking system to be available to its members to ease compliance with the new staff evaluation system.
IAC has been assisting agencies in the provision of clinical services after April 1 when most clinical services will have to be provided either at an Article 16 clinic or through a new Independent Practitioner Service which must be provided by a different agency. At this time many questions remain.
Details of the revisions to the Nurse Practice Act, allowing staff to administer medications in non-certified settings, were released. The revisions are not what we lobbied for. They are very narrow and don’t apply to everyone.
A new directive, released at the end of December, concerning transportation in day programs and residences, would greatly increase costs and is against everyone’s idea of what “normal” services should be.
Acting Commissioner Delaney will speak at the January 28 membership meeting.
IAC will develop a budget position on February 11.
Lobby days are March 1 and 2.
Peter Pierri has announced he will retire in August, 2016.

Federation:
No report.

VII. Committee Reports

Family Support Services: Marco thanked Wendy DeLeon, Yesenia Estrella, and Amy Bittinger for all their hard work making the Fair so successful. Wendy shared that 607 people attended, including 245 family members, which is roughly the same attendance we had in non-Front Door session Fairs. We did not have as many surveys/evaluations as we would have liked, and the committee has come up with some strategies that could increase the number. The vast majority of respondents rated the quality of the fair as excellent or good, and the booths and workshops as helpful or somewhat helpful. Some people were dissatisfied with the new location. The committee will continue to search for a different venue that is affordable and more central. There were problems with the translators, which will be avoided next year. It was suggested that perhaps next year we could survey the vendors as well. Next meeting: Tuesday, February 9, 2016, 10:00 am – noon, Sinergia, 2082 Lexington Ave. at 125^th Street, 4^th floor. Information: Yesenia Estrella (212) 643-2840 x 349; yestrella@sinergiany.org.

Legislative: The committee will meet following today’s Council meeting to discuss the logistics of the Breakfast, which will be held March 11. Information: Jim Malley (212) 928-5810 x 101; jmalley@esperanzacenter.net.

Transition: At the last meeting Renee McCauley, DDRO, presented on the Metro residential process. The 2016 graduates are moving along pretty well. Committee co-chair, Lucy Kramer, has resigned. If you would like to co-chair the committee, please contact Kathy Kelly. Next meeting: Wednesday, February 10, 2016, 9:30 am – noon, AHRC, 83 Maiden Lane, 11^th floor Board Room. Information: Kathy Kelly (212) 780-2724; Kathy.kelly@ahrcnyc.org.

Manhattan Family Support Services Advisory Council: At the January 5 meeting, Donald Lash, Executive Director of Sinergia, discussed encounters by people with developmental disabilities with the criminal justice system and suggested ways to minimize confrontation and keep people safe. Next meeting: Thursday, February 4, 2016, 10:00 am – noon, Center for Family Support, 333 Seventh Ave. (at 28^th St.), 9^th floor. Topic: Wini Schiff, IAC, on the NYS Executive Budget. Information: Margaret Puddington (212) 799-2042; Margaret.puddington@gmail.com.

Service Coordination: Next meeting: Friday, February 19, 2016, 10:00 am – noon, UCP/NYC, 80 Maiden Lane, 2^nd floor training room. Topic: Employment Services. Information: Carol Lincoln (718) 859-5420 x 225; clincoln@ucpnyc.org.

Childrens/Education Committee: This committee is in need of a co-chair. To volunteer or to suggest someone, please contact Christina Muccioli. Next meeting: TBA. Information: Christina Muccioli (212) 780-2532; Christina.muccioli@ahrcnyc.org.