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NYS OPTIONS FOR PEOPLE THROUGH SERVICES update as of August 3, 2005
NYS OPTIONS FOR PEOPLE THROUGH SERVICES August 3, 2005 News from the OPTS Administration Unit (#8-2005) 1. OPTS Questions 2. Proposal Status Report as of 8/1/05 3. Frequently Asked Questions 4. Additional Brief Descriptions of Approved Proposals 5. DDSO OPTS Liaison Contacts 6. Information Sharing 7. 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:
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OPTS questions can be sent via e-mail to
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Questions of general interest will be included in a “Frequently Asked Questions” listing being compiled.OPTS proposals must be submitted electronically through the OMRDD Secure Message Center to
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Information on the NYS OPTS Initiative is available through the OMRDD Home Page: www.omr.state.ny.usSelect button for - Information for ProvidersSelect link for – Options for People Through Services New staff: In July we welcomed Carla Lukermann to the OPTS Administration Unit. 2. Proposal Status Report as of August 1, 2005 Proposals Received 158 Proposals Complete 141 a Health Checks Complete 129 b Consumer Verifications Complete 101 c Team Review Meetings Held/Scheduled 106 d Awaiting Scheduling of Team Review Meeting 0 Proposals Approved 32 Implemented 10 e Number of Proposals “On Hold” 19 f Number of Proposals “Not OPTS” 21 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. Six proposals have been unsuccessful in completing the Consumer Verification. 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. Frequently asked questions(1) Where can Background and General Information about NYS-OPTS be found? Electronically information can be obtained through the OMRDD Web Site at www.orm.state.ny.us click on Information for Providers click on Options for People Through Services In addition to Background and General Information, a sample fo the OPTS Application, Pilot Proposal Evaluation Information, the Interim Reporting Questions developed by the Statewide Evaluation Committee, a boilerplate of the OPTS Agreement (contract), and the Pre-Screening and Proposal Review Sheet used during Team Review Meetings are available for review. (2) If proposals are to be submitted electronically through the Secure Message Center, where can one obtain the User ID and System Request Form for a Secure Message account? The User ID and System Request Form can be obtained through the OMRDD Web Site at www.orm.state.ny.us click on Information for Providersclick on Options for People Through Services click on ISS Electronic Secure Messaging (3) Can a nonprofit agency submit more than one proposal? Yes, but a provider may be asked to prioritize their proposals and should be aware that an evaluation on the agency’s ability to implement multiple proposals will be a factor in determining the number of proposals that are reviewed.(4) Is there a restriction on the number of individuals who can participate in a proposal? No, but we are looking for person-centered planning and participatory collaboration in the development of each proposal so these parameters may limit the number of individuals included in a proposal. (5) Do all residents of a home have to be included in the same OPTS proposal? Yes, since residential programs have edits that limit one provider to bill Medicaid, all residents must be included in an OPTS proposal with OMRDD being the service provider of record. The services proposed for the residents should be based on each individual’s needs and desires (person-centered). (6) Will the Division of Quality Assurance still certify or review programs funded through NYS-OPTS? Yes, certification and review standards for OPTS funded programs will not differ from those applied to current programs. (7) How will OPTS Agreements be reported on the Consolidated Fiscal Report (CFR)? OPTS Agreements will be reported on a nonprofit agency’s CFR as a contract. (8) Will nonprofit agencies still have HCBS Waiver Provider Agreements? Yes, agencies will still have HCBS Waiver Provider Agreements. (9) Who is eligible to participate in OPTS pilots? Individuals who are eligible for OMRDD services are eligible to participate in OPTS pilots. (10) Do OPTS participants need to have Medicaid and be HCBS Waiver enrolled? No, but OMRDD will expect participants to apply for Medicaid, and if approved will then strongly encourage participants who qualify for the HCBS Waiver to enroll. (11) Will Site Selection/Padavan and local community review still be required? Yes, for programs that normally would require Site Selection/Padavan and local community review. (12) Will the Certificate of Need (CON) process still apply? Yes, for programs that normally would require a CON.4. Brief Description of Approved Proposals OPTS #40 - 24 Individuals Target Implementation – TO BE DETERMINED OPTS Services(s) – Group Day Habilitation - A day program close to the residence of these elderly or medically frail individuals will provide them with the opportunity to participate in activities at their own pace and without the need to endure lengthy travel time to and from the residence. OPTS #100 - 12 Individuals Target Implementation – TO BE DETERMINED OPTS Service(s) – Supervised IRA Residential Habilitation and Comprehensive Supervised IRA Residential Habilitation -Two 6 person homes that are accessible will replace a ten person existing community residence. The stairs in the current two-story home are difficult for the individuals who live there to negotiate, and many individuals who are in need of out-of-home placements need to be screened to insure they can negotiate the stairs safely before they can be offered an opportunity in this home. Some of the individuals also wish to change the opportunities they have available to them during the day. The proposal will allow these individuals to base their day service from the home while their housemates leave the home to participate in their day service. OPTS #89 - 1 individual Target Implementation – TO BE DETERMINED OPTS Service(s) – Comprehensive Supportive IRA Residential Habilitation - An apartment with easy access to public transportation will provide the home for an individual who wishes to live independently with the supports needed to protect his health and safety, and to support him in his pursuit of community activities throughout the day. In addition to having easy access to public transportation, the apartment will be in close proximity to local shops and community resources. Staff support will be provided to enable the individual to connect with the local community based on his own choices. OPTS #64 - 10 Individuals Target Implementation – TO BE DETERMINED OPTS Service(s) – Supervised IRA Residential Habilitation - An existing ICF will be reconfigured into a smaller home, and converted to an IRA. A new home will be developed to provide residential services to the individuals leaving the current home. The current home serves individuals who have behavioral and/or medical needs, and sharing a home with fewer individuals will provide more personal space when individuals need privacy and separation. The concept for this proposal, converting the ICF and reducing the capacity of the existing home, have been approved, however, additional details need to be reviewed and approved by OMRDD before the nonprofit provider can begin seeking a site for development of the new home. OPTS #138 - 25 Individuals per session Target Implementation – August 1, 2005 OPTS Service(s) – Hourly Respite - Two separate weeks of daytime respite will be provided to families who have children with disabilities will be provided over the summer break. Two different locations will be used for the respite services, with different activities available throughout each day for the children to participate in. OPTS #117 - 4 Individuals Target Implementation – September 1, 2005 OPTS Service(s) – Group Day Habilitation - This proposal will serve four medically frail, severely physically disabled, but cognitively alert young adults. Community involvement, inclusion, skill acquisition and stimulation will be emphasized so these individuals are provided with flexible choices tailored to what their health allows. This proposal will allow these young adults to explore friendships with each other as well those they meet through community inclusion activities. 5. DDSO OPTS Liaison Contacts Bernard Fineson - Ronald Kassover (718) 217-5894 Bernard Fineson - Sheila Green-Gholson (718) 217-6117 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 (Bronx) - Karen Prestwidge (718) 430-0713 Metro New York (Manhattan) - Lois Gillman (212) 229-3601 Metro New York (Manhattan) - Janet Zampella (212) 229-3215 Metro New York (Manhattan) - Mary Ann Watson-Bamberger (212) 229-3152 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 6. 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. 7. 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 DDSO Directors Central Office Leadership Team DDSO and Central Office OPTS Point People/Liaison |
