Get Outdoors & Get Together Day is June 10!
Join us for Get Outdoors & Get Together Day on Saturday, June 10! OPWDD will again be partnering with NYS DEC, NYS Parks, and the NYS Department of Veterans' Services for this fun day at more than 20 locations across New York State. This event showcases the accessible recreational opportunities available at our state parks and DEC lands that people with and without disabilities can enjoy together. Download our event flyer here. See our event site for locations and more information! We hope you will join us on June 10! Learn more here.
2024 Budget Highlights
 The newly passed Fiscal Year 2024 Budget includes the following funding for OPWDD and the developmental disabilities service system:
Four Percent Cost of Living Adjustment
- A four percent COLA for human services providers including providers within the developmental disabilities service system.
Intensive Treatment Opportunities (ITO)
- Funding to develop additional ITO units at the former Finger Lakes Developmental Center campus. This additional capacity will support people who require this level of care as they prepare to transition to more independent settings.
Statewide Ombudsman Program
- $2 million for creating a statewide ombudsman program which will provide independent advocacy for people who receive OPWDD services. The ombudsman program will be available to all individuals eligible for OPWDD supports and services.
Continued investments in new services
- $60 million in new funds to support OPWDD services for people who are new to the system and those whose needs have changed.
Continued investments in independent living opportunities
- $15 million for continued development of integrated, supportive living opportunities for people with developmental disabilities.
OPWDD “Unwinds” COVID-19 Policies
 The White House announced on January 30, 2023 that the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency will end on May 11, 2023. At the end of the federal Public Health Emergency, the provisions in effect now under OPWDD’s Appendix K waiver amendment will remain in effect for six months through November 11, 2023. OPWDD has provided guidance and resources regarding the unwinding of COVID operational flexibilities over the coming months.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month
 Each May, OPWDD joins the NYS Office of Mental Health in promoting Mental Health Awareness Month. The OMH website offers resources like a Mental Health Program Directory and Crisis Support Information that can benefit people in need of immediate assistance. OPWDD works to incorporate mental health and wellness into how our service system supports people with developmental disabilities. Ensuring holistic planning and support is critical to living one’s richest life and a fundamental thread throughout OPWDD’s 2023-2027 Strategic Plan. Below are a few of the initiatives we have underway that will help us strengthen our support for mental health:
Expansion of CSIDD
OPWDD is expanding Crisis Services for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities (CSIDD) to ensure these services and resource centers are available in every region of the state.
Mobile Crisis Support Pilot
OPWDD is partnering with the New York State Conference of Local Mental Hygiene Directors to support pilot projects at the county level to address gaps in crisis response and children’s services. The project will test ways to connect county-based mobile crisis services and police crisis intervention teams with real time support and expertise to better triage and manage crisis cases involving people with developmental disabilities. It will also improve connection between county mobile response teams and OPWDD and other children’s services and promote training related to supporting children with developmental disabilities with appropriate services.
HBCI Team Expansion
In April, Governor Kathy Hochul announced the availability of more than $13 million in state funding to expand access to Home-Based Crisis Intervention teams throughout New York State. Administered by the state Office of Mental Health, this funding will help create 13 new teams and expand 26 existing ones, enabling them to provide critical mental health services so that at-risk children and youth can avoid psychiatric hospitalization. OPWDD will work with OMH and the Developmental Disabilities Planning Council to establish two teams that will exclusively serve children or youth dually diagnosed with both a developmental disability and mental illness.
Mental Health Month Toolkit Now Available
Health America is providing a Mental Health Month Outreach Toolkit to help everyone raise mental health awareness during the month of May. Please consider helping to spread the word of how vitally important good mental health is to all of us.
NYS Justice Center is Accepting Nominations for its Annual Code of Conduct Awards
 Each year, the NYS Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs recognizes the dedicated staff who provide support to people with special needs throughout New York State with the Code of Conduct Recognition Award. The “Code of Conduct for Custodians of People with Special Needs” provides a framework for supporting people with special needs to live self-directed, meaningful lives in their communities, free from abuse and neglect and protected from harm. This award recognizes people who demonstrate a strong commitment to the provisions of the Code of Conduct. For more information about the Justice Center’s Code of Conduct and the annual Code of Conduct Award, visit Justice Center | Justice Center for the Protection of People With Special Needs (ny.gov). Deadline for nominations is June 30, 2023.
Thanks for Helping Us #CelebrateDifferences
 Thank you to everyone who helped us #CelebrateDifferences this April during #AutismAcceptanceMonth!
We enjoyed seeing your photos and learning how you choose to define your Autism. When we share our unique experiences, we not only expand understanding and awareness of Autism but foster acceptance.
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