What is self-direction of OPWDD services in NYS?

Self-Direction is the opportunity to have partial or complete management and/or budget authority of your OPWDD funded supports. As a Start-Up Broker I provide a consulting service (paid by the state of NY) to help you develop a proposal based on your assessments of need, and your interests and preferences, then present that to OPWDD for funding.

We'll engage in a person-centered planning process and identify a circle of support for you (related and unrelated, paid and unpaid people who care about you and have insight about your support needs, safeguards, and things you want to do in life). With your Circle and your MSC, I'll help you or your family to develop that proposal, find staff, and get them on payroll with the Fiscal Agency who will pay approved payroll and expenses.

It's not simple (hence my role as consultant) and it does require a fair amount of work from you or your family and circle. And it doesn't free you entirely from following regulations. But self-direction offers you an alternative to traditional agency services with greater control and complete focus on you instead of a larger organization providing a service to you.


Tuesday, September 10, 2013

FREE panel on Self- and Family-Directed Supports funded by NYS OPWDD -- I'm a panelist!

New Rules | New Choices | Parent Voices

Please join us for this important conversation with families who are currently using
Self-Direction to access services under the new OPWDD rules, and a Q&A
with expert support brokers and OPWDD representatives.

If used well, the process of Self-Direction can give families more power
in planning, accessing, and spending Medicaid dollars on behalf of their
family member with a developmental disability.

Participants will receive a resource packet with practical, how-to information.

This event is free, but registration is required. Register online at newchoices.eventbright.com
or by calling 212-677-4650.

WEDNESDAY
OCTOBER 2, 2013
CREDIT SUISSE
11 MADISON AVENUE
Entrance on Madison Avenue between 24th and 25th Streets (Northeast corner)

5:00 – 6:00 PM
COFFEE/DESSERT RECEPTION WITH PANELISTS
6:00 – 7:30 PM

A flyer to share with your school or other programs can be downloaded here

Friday, August 16, 2013

Variations on Person-Centered Planning from PLAN Institute

PLAN Institute, a British Columbia based agency, has a personal network development approach that has many features in common with person-centered planning and citizen-centered leadership.  Their approach, and the Canadian government's provisions for family savings and community sourced fiscal support are profiled in the NY Times from June.

NY Times 'Fixes' Blog: Personal Network Development for Persons with Disabilities

Friday, August 9, 2013

AGI Launches Daily Living/Residential Curriculum for Direct Support Providers

With partners Autism Speaks, Institute for Integrated Self Advocacy, and The Autism Research Institute, the Autism Global Institute is launching an online course for direct support for persons with ASD.

The course with online instruction and completion certificate is $300 per person.

Very encouraged to see this given the people involved -- looks like it will be a good supplement to NYS mandated training for direct support.

Thursday, August 1, 2013

NYS OPWDD Transformation Agreement and Self-Direction

Announced in April, the Transformation Agreement that OPWDD reached with the federal Center for Medicaid Services requires it to make and meet some ambitious goals concerning self-direction:
• Provide education to at least 1,500 beneficiaries (with designated representatives as needed) per quarter beginning on April 1, 2013
• Increase # of individuals self directing by 1,245 by March 31, 2014
Presentation slides on the whole package can be seen at:  http://www.opwdd.ny.gov/node/3881 (best seen with IE or Safari).