People with Developmental Disabilities, Office for

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Agency Web Site: https://opwdd.ny.gov/

Mission

The mission of the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) is to help individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities live richer lives. OPWDD’s vision is to ensure that individuals enjoy meaningful relationships with family, friends, and others; experience personal health and growth; live in homes of their choice; and fully participate in their communities.

Organization and Staffing

The Executive Budget recommends a year-end workforce target of 18,584 FTEs.

Budget Highlights

The FY 2022 Executive Budget recommends, in total, approximately $4.9 billion in All Funds appropriations, including $2.6 billion for Aid to Localities, $2.2 billion for State Operations and $109 million for Capital Projects, which represents a slight decrease of $60 million, or -1.2%, from FY 2021.

OPWDD will utilize this funding to support a comprehensive system of care that serves 126,000 New Yorkers and their families. These resources will continue to support OPWDD's person-centered model, which delivers services through a network of State-operated and NFP-operated settings.

This Budget continues the State’s pledge to support individuals with developmental disabilities in the most appropriate community-based settings. Specifically, the Executive Budget will:

• Continue Investments for Program Priorities, Including New Service Opportunities. The Executive Budget continues to invest State resources to support OPWDD priority program reforms that ensure individuals receive the support services they need. This includes individuals who are entering the system for the first time and seeking access to services, and individuals already receiving services, but whose needs have changed over time.

• Offer Certified Housing Supports in the Community. OPWDD operates a robust community-based residential program, offering residential services and supports based on an individual's needs, goals and preferences. OPWDD works to support each person in the most integrated community setting possible. The State and its network of not-for-profit provider agencies offer residential opportunities that provide 24/7 supervision and homes that offer less intensive staffing supports in one of the largest community-based residential programs in the country. In total, OPWDD currently supports 36,000 individuals in certified community-based residential programs funded with $5.2 billion in public resources annually.

• Expand Independent Living. OPWDD also enables people with developmental disabilities to live as independently as possibly by providing rental subsidies to individuals who wish to live in an apartment in their community. Since FY 2013, OPWDD has more than doubled the number of people who are authorized to receive rental subsidies, bringing the total to more than 6,700 individuals.

• Provide More Day Program and Employment Options. Day and employment services are a crucial aspect of offering participants the personal, social, and vocational supports needed to live in their community. Day and employment services vary depending on the needs and interests of the individual and support them in fully participating in their communities. OPWDD has invested significantly in these services and enhanced the array of available employment readiness programs over the past five years. During that time, the number of individuals receiving day and employment services have increased by roughly 6,200, an increase of 11 percent.

• Increase Respite Availability. Respite services provide temporary relief to family caregivers, helping people with developmental disabilities live at home with their families for longer periods. Respite can be provided in the home or out of the home, during the day, evenings or overnight and often helps families better meet the needs of their loved one with a developmental disability. Over the past five years, the number of individuals receiving respite services has increased by approximately 4,000, an increase of 22 percent.

• Promote Choice in Service Options. Self-Direction provides the opportunity for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities to select a combination of OPWDD-authorized services and supports based on their strengths and needs. This is accomplished by providing enrollees with individualized budgets that are used to purchase the services they choose, the staff and/or organizations that provide them, and a schedule that works for them. Under the leadership of Governor Cuomo, OPWDD has prioritized investments in Self-Direction and increased the number of individuals self-directing to 20,100, an increase of 159 percent over the past four years.

• Commit an Additional $15 Million to Develop Housing. The FY 2022 Executive Budget continues to support the expansion of independent living opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Over the last several years, the State has invested in OPWDD’s effort to develop safe and accessible residential opportunities. Cumulatively, the State has invested $95 million for this purpose, including an additional $15 million in FY 2022. These funds are distinct from, and in addition to, resources that are available from the five-year, $20 billion affordable and supportive housing plan, which is also helping support the development of residential opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

• OPWDD Transition to Managed Care. The State continues to assess the potential effectiveness and sustainability of the proposed delivery system to ensure individuals continue receiving appropriate services in the most cost-effective manner.

• Manage Access to Residential Programs Based on Need. In FY 2022, OPWDD will actively manage residential programs to ensure that individuals live in settings that most appropriately align with their needs. This will involve offering individuals who are new to OPWDD residential services the most integrated setting possible that can best meet their needs, including Supportive IRAs, Family Care, and rent-subsidized apartments with wrap-around Community Habilitation supports. Additionally, OPWDD will use State-operated residential capacity to support those who are currently living in inappropriate settings and have the most intensive needs. Specifically, the Budget proposes to help individuals living in State-operated residences to transition, where appropriate, to voluntary-operated programs to accommodate young adults with more intensive needs that have aged out of residential schools.

• Strengthen Research Activities: In FY 2022, the Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities (IBR) will combine with the New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI) as a new Division of Developmental Disabilities Research Program, to strengthen and enhance the State’s research capabilities in brain development and disorders, furthering the work done by both institutions and establishing the State as a world leader in this important area. The research conducted by these institutions not only furthers society’s understanding, but also advances therapies and treatments that improve the quality of life for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and mental illness.

• Reduce Local Assistance Payments to Reflect the Fiscal Crisis. As a result of the fiscal crisis caused entirely by the pandemic, OPWDD non-Medicaid local assistance payments will be reduced by 5 percent. These spending reductions may be restored if the State receives requested Federal COVID relief funds.

For more information on this agency's budget recommendations located in the Executive Budget Briefing Book, click on the following link:

Briefing Book – Mental Hygiene (PDF)

Program Highlights

• Residential Services: Residential programs are licensed by OPWDD to provide varying levels of housing and related services, and are operated by OPWDD or nonprofit agencies. Residential services include, but are not limited to: adaptive skill development; assistance with activities of daily living; community inclusion and relationship building; training and support for independence in travel; adult educational supports; and development of social, leisure, self-advocacy, informed choice and appropriate behavioral skills.

• Day Programs: Day programs include: day habilitation, community habilitation and employment type services, each focused on giving participants the personal, social and vocational supports needed to live in their community. Programming varies depending upon each person’s unique needs and interests. These services aim to assist individuals to acquire, retain or improve their self-help, socialization and adaptive skills, including communication, travel and other areas of adult education.

• Clinic Services: Clinic Services include: physical therapy, occupational therapy, psychology, speech and language pathology, medical/dental services and health care services. These services assist individuals with developmental disabilities in maintaining the effectiveness of the treatment, enabling the individual to remain in his/her current residential setting and enhancing the individual’s quality of life.

• All Other Services: These include a variety of different service options for individuals and families, such as self-direction, respite, care coordination, and family counseling.

Note: Most recent estimates as of 01/19/2021