People with Developmental Disabilities, Office for
skip breadcrumbsAgency 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
OPWDD has a Central Office in Albany, which oversees State and Local programs. OPWDD has six State Operations offices, which are responsible for State-delivered programs and services. OPWDD also staffs five Regional Offices that oversee the provision of community-based services delivered by not-for-profit providers.
Major Programs
- Residential Services. Residential programs are licensed by OPWDD to provide varying levels of housing and related services, and are operated by OPWDD or not-for-profit 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 their 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.
Budget Highlights
The FY 2026 Executive Budget recommends approximately $10.1 billion in All Funds appropriations, including $7.5 billion for Aid to Localities, $2.4 billion for State Operations and $266.7 million for Capital Projects, which represents an increase of $2.4 billion from FY 2025. The increase is primarily due to the shift of Medicaid local share costs from DOH’s to OPWDD's budget, the inclusion of a 2.1% Targeted Inflationary Increase, new capital projects, and the continued investment in new service opportunities. The Executive Budget recommends a workforce of 19,115 FTEs for OPWDD, unchanged from FY 2025.
OPWDD will utilize this funding to support a comprehensive system of care that serves over 138,000 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 not-for-profit (NFP) operated settings.
Major Budget initiatives include:
- Continue Funding Rate Enhancements for Not-for-Profit Providers. The Executive Budget will continue investments to support updated reimbursement rates for OPWDD providers that began during FY 2025. The budget includes almost $850 million in annualized funding to help OPWDD not-for-profit providers increase wages for their frontline workforce.
- Modernize Research in Developmental Disabilities. The Executive Budget includes a five-year capital investment of $75 million to renovate the Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities (IBR) campus on Staten Island, including the development of a Genomics Core facility and creation of space for a Willowbrook learning center. This investment will renovate existing buildings and consolidate space to a more focused footprint, while also modernizing equipment needed to help advance IBR's research goals.
- Invest in New Service Opportunities. The Executive Budget invests new State resources ($30 million in FY 2026, $60 million annualized) to fund OPWDD priority program reforms and new service opportunities that enable individuals to receive the support they need. This includes individuals who are entering the OPWDD service system for the first time and individuals already receiving services, but whose needs have changed. These State funds leverage Federal resources for a gross increase of $120 million annually.
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
| Category | Available FY 2025 |
Appropriations Recommended FY 2026 |
Change From FY 2025 |
Reappropriations Recommended FY 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Operations | 2,361,225,000 | 2,369,025,000 | 7,800,000 | 62,974,000 |
| Aid To Localities | 5,174,212,000 | 7,481,167,000 | 2,306,955,000 | 4,414,204,000 |
| Capital Projects | 139,426,000 | 266,726,000 | 127,300,000 | 532,479,000 |
| Total | 7,674,863,000 | 10,116,918,000 | 2,442,055,000 | 5,009,657,000 |
| Program | FY 2025 Estimated FTEs 03/31/25 |
FY 2026 Estimated FTEs 03/31/26 |
FTE Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Coordination and Support | |||
| General Fund | 1,178 | 1,178 | 0 |
| Community Services | |||
| General Fund | 15,198 | 15,198 | 0 |
| Capital Projects Funds - Other | 385 | 385 | 0 |
| Institutional Services | |||
| General Fund | 2,260 | 2,260 | 0 |
| Research in Developmental Disabilities | |||
| General Fund | 94 | 94 | 0 |
| Total | 19,115 | 19,115 | 0 |
| Fund Type | Available FY 2025 |
Recommended FY 2026 |
Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enterprise Funds | 2,657,000 | 2,657,000 | 0 |
| General Fund | 2,356,696,000 | 2,364,496,000 | 7,800,000 |
| Internal Service Funds | 348,000 | 348,000 | 0 |
| Special Revenue Funds - Federal | 751,000 | 751,000 | 0 |
| Special Revenue Funds - Other | 773,000 | 773,000 | 0 |
| Total | 2,361,225,000 | 2,369,025,000 | 7,800,000 |
| Program | Available FY 2025 |
Recommended FY 2026 |
Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Coordination and Support | |||
| General Fund | 140,262,000 | 140,262,000 | 0 |
| Internal Service Funds | 348,000 | 348,000 | 0 |
| Special Revenue Funds - Federal | 751,000 | 751,000 | 0 |
| Community Services | |||
| General Fund | 1,707,307,000 | 1,707,307,000 | 0 |
| Institutional Services | |||
| Enterprise Funds | 2,657,000 | 2,657,000 | 0 |
| General Fund | 479,482,000 | 487,282,000 | 7,800,000 |
| Special Revenue Funds - Other | 502,000 | 502,000 | 0 |
| Research in Developmental Disabilities | |||
| General Fund | 29,645,000 | 29,645,000 | 0 |
| Special Revenue Funds - Other | 271,000 | 271,000 | 0 |
| Total | 2,361,225,000 | 2,369,025,000 | 7,800,000 |
| Program | Total | Personal Service Regular (Annual Salaried) |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amount | Change | Amount | Change | |
| Central Coordination and Support | 83,519,000 | 0 | 82,865,000 | 0 |
| Community Services | 1,510,654,000 | 0 | 1,268,863,000 | (100,000,000) |
| Institutional Services | 370,800,000 | 7,800,000 | 345,404,000 | (2,200,000) |
| Research in Developmental Disabilities | 26,492,000 | 0 | 26,151,000 | 0 |
| Total | 1,991,465,000 | 7,800,000 | 1,723,283,000 | (102,200,000) |
| Program | Temporary Service (Nonannual Salaried) |
Holiday/Overtime Pay | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amount | Change | Amount | Change | |
| Central Coordination and Support | 489,000 | 0 | 165,000 | 0 |
| Community Services | 1,792,000 | 0 | 239,999,000 | 100,000,000 |
| Institutional Services | 1,061,000 | 0 | 24,335,000 | 10,000,000 |
| Research in Developmental Disabilities | 0 | 0 | 341,000 | 0 |
| Total | 3,342,000 | 0 | 264,840,000 | 110,000,000 |
| Program | Total | Supplies and Materials | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amount | Change | Amount | Change | |
| Central Coordination and Support | 56,743,000 | 0 | 2,072,000 | 0 |
| Community Services | 196,653,000 | 0 | 77,040,000 | 0 |
| Institutional Services | 116,482,000 | 0 | 69,865,000 | 0 |
| Research in Developmental Disabilities | 3,153,000 | 0 | 1,333,000 | 0 |
| Total | 373,031,000 | 0 | 150,310,000 | 0 |
| Program | Travel | Contractual Services | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amount | Change | Amount | Change | |
| Central Coordination and Support | 2,268,000 | 0 | 48,445,000 | 0 |
| Community Services | 5,656,000 | 0 | 89,295,000 | 0 |
| Institutional Services | 1,694,000 | 0 | 32,757,000 | 0 |
| Research in Developmental Disabilities | 6,000 | 0 | 1,251,000 | (400,000) |
| Total | 9,624,000 | 0 | 171,748,000 | (400,000) |
| Program | Equipment | |
|---|---|---|
| Amount | Change | |
| Central Coordination and Support | 3,958,000 | 0 |
| Community Services | 24,662,000 | 0 |
| Institutional Services | 12,166,000 | 0 |
| Research in Developmental Disabilities | 563,000 | 400,000 |
| Total | 41,349,000 | 400,000 |
| Program | Total | Personal Service | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amount | Change | Amount | Change | |
| Central Coordination and Support | 1,099,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Institutional Services | 3,159,000 | 0 | 383,000 | 0 |
| Research in Developmental Disabilities | 271,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 4,529,000 | 0 | 383,000 | 0 |
| Program | Nonpersonal Service | |
|---|---|---|
| Amount | Change | |
| Central Coordination and Support | 1,099,000 | 0 |
| Institutional Services | 2,776,000 | 0 |
| Research in Developmental Disabilities | 271,000 | 0 |
| Total | 4,146,000 | 0 |
| Fund Type | Available FY 2025 |
Recommended FY 2026 |
Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Fund | 5,174,212,000 | 7,481,167,000 | 2,306,955,000 |
| Total | 5,174,212,000 | 7,481,167,000 | 2,306,955,000 |
| Program | Available FY 2025 |
Recommended FY 2026 |
Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Services | |||
| General Fund | 5,174,212,000 | 7,481,167,000 | 2,306,955,000 |
| Total | 5,174,212,000 | 7,481,167,000 | 2,306,955,000 |
| Comprehensive Construction Program | Available FY 2025 |
Recommended FY 2026 |
Change | Reappropriations FY 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community and Institutional Services Program | ||||
| Capital Projects Fund | 41,600,000 | 67,900,000 | 26,300,000 | 51,165,000 |
| MH Capital Improvements - Authority Bonds | 32,826,000 | 132,826,000 | 100,000,000 | 121,934,000 |
| Design and Construction Supervision | ||||
| Capital Projects Fund | 6,000,000 | 6,000,000 | 0 | 40,704,000 |
| MH Capital Improvements - Authority Bonds | 7,000,000 | 7,000,000 | 0 | 10,223,000 |
| Facilities Maintenance and Operations | ||||
| Capital Projects Fund | 52,000,000 | 53,000,000 | 1,000,000 | 27,297,000 |
| Institutional Services Program | ||||
| Capital Projects Fund | 0 | 0 | 0 | 846,000 |
| MH Capital Improvements - Authority Bonds | 0 | 0 | 0 | 82,318,000 |
| State-Operated Community Services Program | ||||
| Capital Projects Fund | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3,907,000 |
| MH Capital Improvements - Authority Bonds | 0 | 0 | 0 | 82,685,000 |
| Voluntary-Operated Community Facilities | ||||
| Capital Projects Fund | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22,010,000 |
| MH Capital Improvements - Authority Bonds | 0 | 0 | 0 | 89,390,000 |
| Total | 139,426,000 | 266,726,000 | 127,300,000 | 532,479,000 |
Note: Most recent estimates as of 01/21/2025