Openings:
AHRC:
Fisher and Williams Day Habilitation
Day Habilitation availability in both programs
For a more complete listing of availability of openings in AHRC please see attached flyers
CGS:
Day Habilitation Without Walls availability in Manhattan and Brooklyn
School Holiday Respite availability
A new program will be opening up soon for those who getting ready for employment and these individuals must be travel trained
Life Adjustment Center:
Has availability, for 2 openings, in each of the following boroughs, for low functioning individuals especially those w/Autism or along the spectrum.
Programs are located in the Bronx, Harlem, Lower Manhattan, and Brooklyn.
Sinergia:
Has Day Habilitation availability
UCP of NYC:
Day Habilitation availability
Since there were a significant number of new people at this meeting, it began with an overview of the Manhattan Developmental Disabilities Council and this sub-committee of Transition.
Manhattan Developmental Disability Council is an advisory council to state & local governments. This Council is comprised of several Sub-Committees such as:
Family Support Committee;
Legislative Committee;
Transition Committee;
Medicaid Service Coordination Committee;
Children’s Committee; Family Support Services Advisory Committee
This Council has a Website (Manhattanddcouncil.org) which has links to Provider Directory’s, Family Support Directory’s, and Adult Day Services Directory
Our Committee, which is the Manhattan Transitional Committee, focus’ on assisting in the Transition Process for those individuals that are aging out of Department of Education and transitioning into OPWDD Adult Services. We generally meet on the 2nd Wednesday of every month and we discuss a variety of topics that impact the Transition Process.
OPWDD( Office for People with Developmental Disabilities)
The services the individuals receive through OPWDD are mostly funded through Medicaid.
At 18, an individual can apply for SSI under his or her own income and resources. Once an individual has been approved for SSI he or she is automatically enrolled in Medicaid. When applying for Medicaid, one must apply for Medicaid with Community Long Term Care.
The Front Door Initiative:
The Front Door Initiative which began June 1, 2013 is designed to be a single point of entry for those wanting services for the first time or seeking a new service. The services received under OPWDD are not an entitlement unlike the services received while under the Board of education auspices. Under OPWDD the services are based on eligibility and need
The Front Door Initiative is currently for individuals entering our system for the first time, or not currently receiving a Waiver Service. However, come June 2014 it is anticipated that everyone even those individuals who are already receiving services, who want a change will need to go through The Front Door. This initiative is a 6 step process which will be used to determine the following: if individuals will be eligible for receiving our services and the services an individual will be authorized to receive and it is a 6 step process which includes:
1) Initial Contact
2) Eligibility
3) Assessment
4) Identification of Service Needs/Plan Development
5) Service Authorization
6) Service Implementation
The Main Goals of The Front Door Initiative are to:
1) Ensure consistency and equity of services offered to individuals and families
2) Promote Self- Direction/Self-Determination
3) Promote Employment as a service option
4) Build on the philosophy of Person Centered Planning to ensure that individuals/families are
given a true informed choice of the full array of service options
The Front Door Contacts:
Bronx #: 718-430-0757
Manhattan #:212-229-3132
Brooklyn #:718-642-8576
Queens #: 718-217-6485
Staten Island #: 718-982-1913
Evaluations:
Individuals applying for OPWDD services will need a Psychological and a Psychosocial Evaluation. Individuals can use their evaluations from the Board of Education as long as the evaluations meet the criteria for OPWDD evaluation. OPWDD require that evaluations need to be comprehensive of an IQ Score and an Adaptive Behavior Scale. Evaluations are always valid as long as they reflect the needs of the individual. If the evaluations don’t meet the needs of the individual then an update needs to be completed by a Psychologist. The Psychosocial Evaluation includes one’s Birth History and Developmental History because this information is used in determining if one is eligible for OPWDD services. The following 3 criteria are used in determining eligibility:
1) Diagnosis of a Developmental Delay, Intellectual Disability, Cerebral Palsy, Neurological Impairment, or Familial Dysautonomia
2) The diagnosis occurred prior to the age of 22 & no longer occurring prior to the age of 21
3) Substantial Deficits in the area of Life Skills
If an individual has Medicaid one can use Medicaid to pay for his or her evaluations
If one doesn’t have Medicaid there are clinics authorized to do free evaluations.
Our next meeting will be on: Wednesday, October 9th 2013 at 9:30 at P751M – 113 E 4th Street