NYSACRA

December 23, 2005: Part X

NYS OPTIONS FOR PEOPLE THROUGH SERVICES update as of December 23, 2005 NYS OPTIONS FOR PEOPLE THROUGH SERVICES December 23, 2005 News from the OPTS Administration Unit (#12-2005) 1. OPTS Questions 2. Proposal Status Report as of 12/23/05 3. No OPTS News for November 2005 4. NYS-OPTS Referral List available through the OMRDD Website 5. OPTS Pilot Evaluation Committee – Should Each Pilot Have Distinct Committee? 6. Property Development Activities Associated with OPTS 7. Annual Audit of OPTS Pilots 8. OPTS Agreements – More Important Points 9. COMING SOON – Revised OPTS Application 10. Additional Brief Descriptions of Approved Proposals 11. DDSO OPTS Liaison Contacts 12. Information Sharing 13. Why You May Receive Multiple Copies of this Message 1. OPTS Questions The phone number for the OPTS Admin Unit is (518) 408-2744. E-mail addresses are: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it OPTS questions can be sent via e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Questions of general interest will be included in a “Frequently Asked Questions” listing being compiled. To go directly to the NYS-OPTS information available on the OMRDD website enter www.nysopts.com OPTS proposals must be submitted electronically through the OMRDD Secure Message Center to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it 2. Proposal Status Report as of December 23, 2005 Proposals Received 204 Proposals Complete 187 a Health Checks Complete 177 b Consumer Verifications Complete 143 c Team Review Meetings Held/Scheduled 148 d Awaiting Scheduling of Team Review Meeting 0 Proposals Approved 62 * Implemented 29 e * At least 1 proposal has now been approved in each OMRDD district. Number of Proposals “On Hold” 22 f Number of Proposals “Not OPTS” 22 g a – Contact telephone numbers required as part of the OPTS Application. View the OPTS Application, including the Budget and Roster (Microsoft Excel document) through the OMRDD Home Page (specifics given in #1 above). b – Two proposals have been unsuccessful in completing the Health Check. c – Several proposals have “completed” the consumer verification step, but have been put “on hold” due to insufficient participation by the consumers, families and/or advocates. Three proposals have been unsuccessful in completing the Consumer Verification but are expected to proceed once participation by the consumers, families and/or advocates is demonstrated. d – Several proposals have been reviewed twice, the initial review and then upon receipt of supplemental information from the not-for-profit provider. e – Payments continue to be processed on a monthly basis under the Interim Payment Process. f – A non-profit provider may be asked to prioritize their proposals when they have multiple proposals submitted, this category includes proposals non-profit providers designate as a low priority. g – Proposals determined “Not OPTS” are either services OMRDD is not authorized to provide, have already been approved for implementation outside of OPTS, or the non-profit provider has withdrawn. 3. No OPTS News for November 2005 The OPTS Steering Committee met on November 21st, so there was no issue of OPTS News for the month of November 2005. Notes from the Steering Committee meeting will be distributed to committee members in the near future. 4. NYS-OPTS Referral List available through the OMRDD Website The NYS-OPTS Referral List of Non-profit Providers is now available through the OMRDD website (quick access through www.nysopts.com). Non-profit providers who submitted Applications through the month of August 2005 are currently shown. Non-profit providers who submitted Applications after August 2005 will be added to the list in early January 2006. 5. OPTS Pilot Evaluation Committee – Should Each Pilot Have Distinct Committee? While a distinct Pilot Evaluation Committee is not required for each OPTS Pilot a non-profit provider implements, several points to consider include: · How taxing will it be to committee members to keep the different evaluation objectives and activities separate? · Are there individuals receiving services through the OPTS Pilot who only want to be part of the Pilot Evaluation Committee associated with their Pilot? · Are there family members who only want to be part of the Pilot Evaluation Committee which include their family member? · Are the Pilot Evaluation Committee members willing to make the time commitment required to oversee multiple OPTS Pilots? When a non-profit providers has multiple OPTS Pilots, they may set up a Pilot Evaluation Committee specific to each Pilot, use the same Committee for multiple Pilots, or establish a “hybrid” committees that consist of core members such as the evaluation expert and quality assurance member and Pilot specific members. The core members would meet with the members specific to each Pilot to perform the activities the Committee is charged with, and at times might bring all of the Pilot specific members together. Reminder – OMRDD Required Evaluation Elements identify the partners expected to be included on the Pilot Evaluation Committee consist of: Individual members (e.g., self-advocates) Parent or family members Staff members A member who is a psychologist, program evaluator, or similarly skilled person A member with a Quality Assurance background The OPTS Pilot Evaluation Committee is expected to be established prior to the implementation of the OPTS Pilot. Committee members should understand the objectives of the Pilot, the tools that will be used to evaluate the Pilot and the frequency of committee meetings to review data collected for interim reporting prior to implementation of the OPTS Pilot. 6. Property Development Activities Associated with OPTS Non-profit providers should assume that development activities required for programs developed “outside of OPTS” are also required for programs developed “under OPTS.” Examples, not intended to be all inclusive, of development activities that remain unchanged with OPTS are: If a Certificate of Need (CON) is required for development of the program outside of OPTS, a Certificate of Need is required to develop the program under OPTS. If the non-profit provider needs to advise the community of a selected site to develop the program outside of OPTS, site selection must be performed under OPTS. The State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) compliance needed for programs developed outside of OPTS must also be complied with for programs developed under OPTS. If a Fair Market Rent Study/Appraisal is required for development of a program before OPTS, a Fair Market Rent Study/Appraisal is required to develop the program under OPTS. If competitive bidding for construction/renovation is required for development of the program outside of OPTS, competitive bidding for the construction/renovation is required under OPTS. The prohibition on investor/developer projects that applies to programs developed outside of OPTS also applies to programs developed under OPTS. If a DARS Confirmation to Proceed with Program Certification (DARS CPPC) form was required for program certification/change before OPTS, the DARS CPPC form for program certification/change is required under OPTS. Prior Property Approval (PPA) to establish property reimbursement is required for programs developed outside of OPTS, and is also required for programs developed under OPTS. Additionally, for non-certified sites developed under OPTS where property reimbursement is requested, an “OPTS PPA” is required which would not have been required for non-certified sites developed outside of OPTS. 7. Annual Audit of OPTS Pilots As stated in the September 28, 2005 OPTS News, technical assistance is provided to each non-profit provider after they receive payment for their first month of service delivery under their OPTS contract. If the OPTS Pilot involves more than one service and all services are not provided in the initial month of service, subsequent technical assistance will be provided following the first month of payment as the different authorized services are implemented. Each OPTS Pilot will also be subjected to an annual audit. The first annual audit is usually initiated around the six month anniversary of OPTS Pilot implementation. Subsequent audits will then be conducted annually from the anniversary of the first audit. 8. OPTS Agreements – More Important Points Paragraph 19 of the OPTS Agreement addresses Payments To Providers, including funding level adjustments. Except for those situations that impact the health and safety of the consumers, funding level adjustments needed for reasons articulated under clause (e) are expected to be requested in advance of the changes and will be paid prospectively. Attachment A to the OPTS Agreement provides the Funding Methodology for OPTS. Reimbursement of operating costs, property and equipment costs, funding level adjustments and that non-profit providers are to comply with 14 NYCRR Part 635-4, Financial Reporting. Trending of base fee and component add-ons is addressed by Paragraph 1, clause (c) of Attachment A. To view the Boilerplate OPTS Agreement, go to www.nysopts.com 9. COMING SOON – Revised OPTS Application A draft of the revised OPTS Application was made available to OPTS Steering Committee members on November 21st, and the revision is expected to be finalized soon. 10. Brief Description of Approved Proposals OPTS #94 -- 6 Individuals Target Implementation – TO BE DETERMINED OPTS Service(s) – Group Habilitation - This proposal will provide the opportunity for six individuals with developmental disabilities who suffer from memory loss to participate in activities with seniors who are not developmentally disabled, but who also suffer from memory loss. The program provides exercise, recreational activities, socialization and sensory stimulation throughout each day. The participants have the opportunity to interact with children who attend area day care centers and visit the program. This proposal is intended to offer the individuals the opportunity to maintain their self-care skills and explore a variety of leisure activities. OPTS #151 --12 Individuals Target Implementation – TO BE DETERMINED OPTS Service(s) – Supervised IRA Residential Habilitation - A residential reconfiguration, this proposal will result in two six person IRAs, one for older individuals and one for individuals who have developmental disabilities and behavior/mental health needs, from a current nine person Community residence. Three NYS-CARES waitlist individuals will receive services as a result of this reconfiguration. This proposal is based, not just on reducing the number of individuals who reside together and serving individuals who are on residential waitlist, but also upon discontinuing use of an existing home. The current residence will be sold and the proceeds to be applied toward the cost of developing the two homes. OPTS #132 -- 42 Individuals Target Implementation – December 1, 2005 OPTS Service(s) – Supervised IRA Residential Habilitation and Supportive IRA Residential Habilitation - Three existing Supervised IRAs and three Supportive IRAs will be downsized to five Supervised IRAs and three Supportive IRAs by adding two additional sites. Besides downsizing of the existing homes, an additional seven new residential opportunities will be created and eleven individuals from the NYS-CARES waitlist will be provided residential placement. OPTS #171 -- 12 Individuals Target Implementation – December 1, 2005 OPTS Service(s) – Supervised IRA Residential Habilitation - This proposal will convert an existing Community Residence to an IRA. When a new home has been developed, five of the individuals will move from the IRA, providing these individuals with greater privacy in the home and increased opportunities to participate in activities of choice in the community. For the seven individuals who have chosen to remain in the current home, they will also have greater privacy in their home and more opportunities to participate in activities of their choosing. OPTS #75 -- 24 Individuals Target Implementation – December 1, 2005 OPTS Service(s) – Hourly Respite - For children with developmental disabilities, the proposal will offer two experiences on weekday afternoons following a school calendar. Through a Creative Arts Exploration Program, children three through twelve will offer music and art exploration. The program will utilize music and art expression to increase and promote a child’s awareness of self and others, while providing the primary caregiver with periods of relief from the duties of caring for a disabled family member. OPTS #53 -- 77 Individuals Target Implementation – TO BE DETERMINED OPTS Service(s) – Supervised IRA Residential Habilitation - The referenced proposal will relocate and downsize eight IRAs into fourteen smaller IRAs. The reconfiguration will occur in two phases. Phase one will consist of the establishment of seven new homes to serve 38 individuals. Phase two will consist of seven new homes to serve 39 individuals. The reconfiguration will enable the agency to provide person-centered services to five individuals from the NYS-CARES waitlist and to enhance services to the 72 individuals being served in the eight existing homes. 11. DDSO OPTS Liaison Contacts Bernard Fineson - Ronald Kassover (718) 217-5894 Bernard Fineson - Sheila Green-Gholson (718) 217-6117 Bernard Fineson – Carolyn Adams (718) 217-5596 Brooklyn – Michael Gilbert (718) 642-8546 Brooklyn - Donna Limiti (718) 642-8584 Brooklyn – Janet Strauss (718) 642-8629 Broome - Sandra Beach (607) 770-0248 Broome – Kathleen Schyndler (607) 770-0232 Capital District - Donald Going (518) 370-7443 Central New York - Judith Luyben (315) 473-6654 Finger Lakes - Patricia Barry (585) 461-8826 Hudson Valley - Virginia Leone (845) 947-6333 Long Island - Lois Kilkenny (631) 493-1745 Long Island - Deborah Hammargren (631) 493-1812 Metro New York (Metro) – Lisa Persante (718) 430-0474 Metro New York (Bronx) – Patricia Schuckle (718) 430-0847 update Metro New York (Manhattan) - Janet Zampella (212) 229-3215 Staten Island - Richard Monck (718) 983-5232 Staten Island - Barbara Schubert (718) 982-1904 Sunmount - Paul Chartier (518) 359-2962 Sunmount - Jacci Gardner (518) 359-2962 Taconic - Robert Slawinski (845) 473-5050 x 151 Taconic - Gabrielle Canino (845) 473-5050 x 129 Western New York - JoAnn Niebel (716) 517-3636 Western New York – Richard Mahaney (716) 517-2144 12. Information Sharing We encourage you to share the information in this message with individuals who are interested in knowing more about recent activities associated with the NYS OPTS initiative. 13. Why You May Receive Multiple Copies of this Message This message is being sent to individuals on several distribution lists. If you appear on more than one of the distribution lists being used, you will receive multiple copies of this message. This message is being distributed to: OPTS Steering Committee OPTS Consumer and Family Subcommittee OPTS Implementation Subcommittee OPTS Provider Subcommittee FSS Statewide Advisory Committee Provider Associations Provider Council Parent-to-Parent Liaison Self Advocate Liaison Multicultural Providers DDSO Directors Central Office Leadership Team DDSO and Central Office OPTS Point People/Liaisons