I. Introductions were completed.
II. Minutes from the last meeting were approved; if you would like to refer to past minutes, they are always available on the DD Council website: (www.manhattanddcouncil.org).
III. Announcements
Birch Family Services
See attached for information on day services, other programs, and “Across the Lifespan,” a series of seminars and workshops for people on the autism spectrum, and the families and professionals supporting them.
Ohel
See attached for information on how to access Family Reimbursement funds.
Ohel is also moving to its new campus in the next few weeks. Day Hab, the Clinic, and other programs will be there. Visitors are welcome – Avenue M and East 14th Street in Brooklyn.
New York Foundling
See attached for DD Services and Supports. There are also residential opportunities for females in Staten Island, Manhattan and the Bronx. People should be prioritized through the DDRO/OPWDD residential process.
YAI
Information is attached for service vacancies and the 14th Annual Latino Conference on May 15th, which will be held entirely in Spanish, and is free for families and providers. For information about any YAI programs, please call 212-273-6182, or email link@yai.org.
NYC FAIR
There will be a meeting on April 23 from 6-8pm at IAC (150 West 30th Street, 15th floor), featuring executive staff from the three Care Coordination Organizations (CCO’s). Go to www.nycfair.org for more information about this meeting and future events.
NY START – Systemic, Therapeutic, Assessment, Resources and Treatment
See attached for details on crisis intervention and prevention services, with the main goal being to enable people to remain in their home or community residence.
ADAPT Community Network – formerly UCP of New York City
Information is attached regarding program vacancies and family reimbursement. Details are also attached for free workshops and the Annual Family Summit on April 26, 2018. There will also be open houses on May 3 and May 9, 2018; see attached for times and locations.
For information on any programs or services, please call 718-436-7979 ext. 704, or email familyconnect@adaptcommunitynetwork.org
Esperanza
See attached for transportation reimbursement and family reimbursement programs for families who live in Manhattan.
New York Lawyers for the Public Interest
NYPLI is a non-profit legal organization that offers free legal services for people with disabilities in New York City. See attached for details on free Special Education workshops for families in English on May 15 and in Spanish on May 17, 2018. NYLPI staff are also available to come train your staff at your programs.
***Check out the new and improved Manhattan DD Council website!***
If you have information from your agency that you would like to include, please email pdf files to manhattanddcouncil@gmail.com
IV. State News – Elizabeth Cambra
A new Director of Region 4 has been appointed. Mary Grace Giuliano has many years of experience in the field, and will begin on April 26. Her office will be on Beaver Street, and she will attend a DD Council as soon as her schedule allows. Liz Cambra will be retiring at the end of June. James Doherty is the Deputy Director of Region 4, and he oversees the CRO (residential), aging out, the development unit, and PASS-R (individuals in nursing homes).
Regarding Care Coordination Organizations (CCO’s), MSC’s should be reaching out to families to have them sign consent forms and selection forms to choose a CCO (Care Design, ACA, or Tri-County). MSC’s have been attending webinars twice a month to keep them updated on the initiative. There have been forums at OPWDD for families with CCO and OPWDD staff in each borough. There will be another one on 4/30 at IAC, and possibly more in the future.
The Council discussed concern over the very technical documents that families are being asked to sign, and the worries that their family member’s PHI is being released to an extent they may not be accustomed to. Families may end up choosing the basic plan instead, not realizing this will limit the services they will get in the future. Elizabeth will report this concern to CCO executives.
Volunteers of America (VOA) is giving up their residential programs on Staten Island. This is the only DD service they provide. A change of auspice will be announced soon.
There is a mechanism for providers to obtain high needs funding, which would go towards enhanced or additional staffing hours. The hope is that it would be available for people in residential and adult day services as well.
V. City News
There will be a Local Plan meeting at the end of April.
VI. IAC – James Malley
Overall the budget was alright for DD services. $20 million has been earmarked for people who live with aging caregivers. There has been a slowdown in the BFair2DirectCare campaign. There were supposed to be two more increases in the next two years. There is money in the budget to bring salaries up to minimum wage in December, but nothing beyond that. Minimum wage is catching up to the upper limits of our salaries. Advocacy over the next year is critical.
The IAC reports about the issues with the Coordinated Assessment System (CAS) has generated a workgroup in Albany.
IAC’s annual conference is going to be held on June 7 and June 8; go to www.iacny.org for details.
There are weekly phone meetings to discuss Legislative issues.
VII. Family and Provider Information Committee
The Committee continues to be successful; attendance is high, and there is a good mix of families and professionals, including MSC staff. The Committee met in February on residential opportunities. Staff from OPWDD gave a presentation on the CRO process and residential options. In March the topic was Medicaid, and problem areas people encounter.
The next topic will be the transition to CCO’s, and identifying concerns of families and MSC’s. If the questions cannot be answered at the meeting, the Committee will pursue further information.
The Committee is working on the MSC Forum, which will be held on May 30, at Pace University. Kate Bishop is tentatively scheduled to be there, and Mary Grace Giuliano will be invited as well. The Committee would like to invite the CEO’s of the three CCO’s to do a presentation, and maybe PHP. This would be the big morning presentation, with smaller workshops in the afternoon.
The next meeting will be held on April 24; for a full schedule of future meetings, go to www.manhattanddcouncil.org.
VII. Legislative Committee
The Manhattan Legislative Breakfast was held on March 9, 2018. The panel was wonderful, and the presentation was more interesting. There was a good response from Legislators. The Committee will reach out to Senator Hoylman, who has been very supportive in recent years, to see if he would be interested in sponsoring the next Breakfast. It was suggested that they ask Assembly Member Richard Gottfried to sponsor as well.
IIX. Manhattan Family Support Services Advisory Council
After more than 20 years, Margaret Puddington has retired as Chair of the Council as of 4/1/2018. Mary McGuire Weafer and Jackie Goldberg have been elected as co-chairs. They can be reached at manhattanfamilyadvisory@gmail.com.
There was a meeting in March with a presentation by the three CEO’s of the CCO’s, together with staff from PHP, which was helpful.
The next meeting will be on May 8, at SNACK, on guardianship and a little information on Special Needs Trusts. There will be a private attorney, and they are hoping to get a lawyer from one of the provider agencies as well. See attached for details.
In June, the meeting will cover behavior management, featuring Linda Schellenberg from CFS.
IX. New Business
This is a Council election year, and nominations can be sent to margaret.puddington@gmail.com or to mrubinst@nyp.org. The slate will be presented in May, and the election will be held at the June meeting.
The officers are a Chairperson (parent or professional), a parent vice chairperson, a professional vice chairperson, a secretary, and a treasurer. To serve, a person must have attended at least 3 meetings within the past nine months prior to the voting meeting or two meetings immediately before the voting meeting.