Dear Friends and Colleagues:
As many of you know, OPWDD spent much of 2015 initiating significant public outreach, data collection and analysis to help us address your concerns and better plan for a sustainable future. This outreach has included statewide public forums to help inform the recommendations of the Transformation Panel and Integrated Employment forums which gave people the opportunity to provide input into integrated employment opportunities.
OPWDD also worked this year to contact every person who had indicated an interest in residential services at some point in the future through the Residential Request List to determine if they have immediate needs that must be met and help OPWDD plan for residential services. More than 24,000 outbound calls were made and more than 12,000 letters were sent out as a part of this effort.
Information, feedback and data gathered in the various public forums and from stakeholders was used to draft written reports to the Legislature. These reports provide the results of this outreach and analysis in areas such as access to services, workshop transformation, and residential services as well as lay out the Transformation Panel Recommendations and the path forward for our service delivery system. The reports are available on OPWDD’s website.
Much of OPWDD’s transformative efforts in 2016 will be based on the feedback we received from you, our valued stakeholders, and through the work of the Transformation Panel. OPWDD looks forward to working with you in the continuing effort to achieve real and lasting transformation in our system.
Regards,
Kerry A. Delaney
Acting Commissioner