NYSACRA

March 31, 2006 - News from the OPTS Administration Unit

NYS OPTIONS FOR PEOPLE THROUGH SERVICES update as of March 31, 2006 News from the OPTS Administration Unit (03-2006) 1. OPTS Questions 2. Proposal Status Report as of 3/31/06 3. Home Size Under OPTS 4. COMING SOON – Web-based Service Reporting for OPTS 5. A “HOW TO” Guidebook for Families 6. Examples of Property Transactions Under OPTS 7. Health Care Initiative and OPTS Budgets 8. OPTS Evaluation Ideas 9. Brief Description of Recently Approved Proposal(s) 10. DDSO OPTS Liaison Contacts 11. Information Sharing 12. 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 – rotation of intern 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 Visit the OPTS information on the web via: www.nysopts.com OPTS proposals must be now be submitted electronically through the OMRDD Secure Messaging 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 March 31, 2006 Proposals Received 295 Proposals Complete 261 Health Checks Complete 243 Consumer Verifications Complete 201 Team Review Meetings Held/Scheduled 197 Awaiting Scheduling of Team Review Meeting 1 Proposals Approved 79 Implemented 43 * At least 1 proposal has now been approved in each OMRDD district. Number of Proposals “On Hold” 25 Number of Proposals “Not OPTS” 26 3. Home Size Under OPTS Individualized Residential Alternatives (IRAs), regardless of how funded by OMRDD must comply with NYCRR Part 686.16 with 14 being the maximum number of individuals residing together in an IRA. Except for the limitation stated above, OMRDD has not set limits on the number of individuals who can reside together in residences included in OPTS proposals. The number of individuals who will live together in a residence funded through OPTS should be determined based on input from the individuals, their family members and/or advocates. The properties proposed to house the individuals will be evaluated for reasonableness as to privacy space available for each individual and common living area. As is current practice for all residential proposals, proposed space per individual will be reviewed for reasonableness against existing and approved programs for individuals with similar needs. 4. COMING SOON – Web-based Service Reporting for OPTS In late June 2006, OMRDD expects to have in place the Web-based Services Recording application available to non-profit providers who are providing OPTS services. Non-profit providers who have implemented their OPTS proposals will be contacted in the coming weeks with details associated with the cross-over from the interim payment system to the Web-based application. Information will also be forthcoming regarding training that will be made available to non-profit providers who need to use the Web-based application to report June 2006 OPTS services. Subsequent training will be made available for non-profit providers as they prepare to implement their approved OPTS proposal. 5. A “HOW TO” Guidebook for Families OMRDD now has available a “HOW TO” Guidebook for Families to provide basic information on OPTS. It contains contributions from two parents who worked with different non-profit providers to design OPTS proposals that are person-centered and provide opportunities for individual choice. The “HOW TO” Guidebook will be made available on the OMRDD website in the near future. In the interim, copies may be obtained (in English) by contacting OMRDD Public Affairs office at (518) 474-6601. Translations into various languages are planned for the future. 6. Examples of Property Transaction Under OPTS If services are to be provided at a site based location, and the non-profit provider intends to seek reimbursement from OMRDD for costs associated with the site, a property transaction which requires a Prior Property Approval (PPA) will be needed. A property transaction may include, but is not limited to the following: - Rental of an apartment - Acquisition and renovation of an existing building - Acquisition of vacant land and construction of a new building - Rental of space for services provided during the day - Allocation of cost associated with space not currently used for services - Fee for usage of space for program purposes and owned by an unrelated entity - Renovation to a space or building currently owned or controlled by the non-profit provider, necessitated by the services proposed under OPTS Acquisition, renovation or rental of space for administrative purposes is NOT considered a property transaction requiring PPA. 7. Health Care Initiative and OPTS Budgets It is OMRDD’s expectation that non-profit providers that have been approved for funding under the Health Care Initiative will continue to provide that benefit under OPTS and will extend that benefit to new employees, as appropriate. Therefore, costs associated with the Health Care Initiative benefits should be included in OPTS budgets. The categorization of the cost (salary, fringe benefit) will be dependent upon the provider’s specific approved health care plan. 8. OPTS Evaluation Ideas The following is available through the www.nysopts.com. Constructing measurable outcomes: Examples of outcomes and measurement techniques for the evaluation component of OPTS proposals This document provides a few examples of outcomes and ways to measure outcomes that may be relevant to OPTS proposals. These are just examples. OMRDD is not recommending that these outcomes are appropriate for all OPTS proposals. However, the outcomes and measurement tools identified in the following examples are meant to be a model for providers who will be developing an evaluation for an OPTS proposal. Examples of outcomes for residential oriented OPTS Pilot Projects Outcome A: Community inclusion will be increased through the participation of individuals and small groups in preferred community activities. Indicator 1A: An increase in the number of places and groups individuals interact with on a regular basis within the community Measurement for Indicator 1A: The number and diversity of places visited by the individual receiving services. Data on community participation will be recorded daily for three months prior to the start of the pilot. This data will continue to be recorded through the first year of the project. At the six month and one year mark, staff will determine how community inclusion changed as a result of the OPTS pilot project by examining changes in the following areas: the # of places visited, the regularity of these visits, and the frequency individuals were able to visit preferred locations. Indicator 2A: A decrease in the size of groups attending community events Measurement for Indicator 2A: Group size while participating in community events. Staff members will document the size of the group attending community activities and events. This information will be gathered for six months before the implementation of the OPTS pilot project and collected on an ongoing basis after implementation. Statistics about group size from before and after implementation will be compared. Outcome B: Individuals will increase their independence at home and in the community. Indicator 1B: Scores generated from The Arc’s Self-Determination Scale . This scale asks individuals about whether they are actively involved in areas like: routine personal care, interaction with the environment, recreation, community and personal expression. (Wehmeyer, Ph.D and Kelchner, M.Ed., 1995). The section of the scale relating to “Autonomy” will be distributed to individuals receiving services before implementation of the OPTS pilot project. The scale will be redistributed six months after implementation to determine whether individuals perceive themselves as more independent than before their involvement in the OPTS pilot. Increased scores are an indicator that individuals have become more autonomous. Indicator 2B: Increased knowledge of how to access transportation within the community Measurement of Indicator 2B: Scores from an interview process that gauges ability to use transportation independently. The individual will be interviewed about their ability to do tasks that are related to community mobility. For example, during the interview, the individual will be asked to read a schedule and complete other tasks related to riding public transportation. The interviewer will make a yes/no determination about whether the person successfully completed the tasks presented to them during the interview. Many “yes” determinations are an indication that the individual can move around independently in the community. This interview will be administered before receiving OPTS services and six months afterward to determine whether skills have improved. Components of the interview will also include assessing whether the person knows how to use the public transportation system to get to often frequented places and, also, to places that he or she has never been to before. Does he or she know the nearest bus/train stop or how to use a transfer? Examples of outcomes for vocational oriented OPTS Pilot Projects Outcome A: Individual will improve work-related skills Indicator 1A: Scores from, for example, the Becker Work Adjustment Profile (Becker, Ralph, 1989) or other similar instrument. This profile measures a worker’s work habits, skills and attitudes. The profile includes questions about personal hygiene, motivation, cooperation and other areas related to becoming a successful worker. An individual who closely observes the individual being evaluated on a daily basis will act as the “rater” on all of the areas covered by the profile. Through rating the individual in all of these areas, a determination will be made about their employability status. The Becker Profile or similar instrument can be administered before implementation of the OPTS pilot project and again after participation in the pilot for some time. Outcome B: The individual will increase his or her vocational opportunities Indicator 1B: Increased earnings and hours worked Measurement of Indicator 1B: The amount of money the individual earns. Earnings from a reasonable period of time before the implementation OPTS will be compared to earnings while the OPTS pilot is in existence. The same method will be used to track hours worked. Indicator 2B: Increased access to different kinds of jobs Measurement of Indicator 2B: The number of job interviews the person attends. The number of interviews the individual participated in before receiving services through OPTS (looking back over a reasonable amount of time) will be compared to those after implementation of the OPTS pilot project. The type of job the person was interviewing for will also be tracked (both before and after the OPTS pilot) in order to show that diversity in job opportunities has increased after implementation of the OPTS pilot. Outcome C: The individual will experience increased job satisfaction. Measurement of Outcome C: Scores generated from a survey that asks the consumer to compare the job they have now to the best job they have held so far. The person receiving services will be asked to think about the best job that they have held prior to OPTS. An interview will be administered to determine how the job held after OPTS services were received compares to the individual best job. The individual will be prompted during the interview about several different areas related to work. Does he or she feel confident (more so? about the same? less so?) performing his or her job tasks? A “more so” response would generate a +1, “about the same” generates a 0, and “less so” generates a -1. All questions in the interview will be tallied generating an overall satisfaction score. For further guidance on how to develop outcomes for an OPTS proposal, please contact: Christine Muller or Allen Schwartz at 518-474-4904. 9. Brief Description of Recently Approved Proposal(s) IBERO – American Action League, Inc. (Finger Lakes DDSO, OPTS #201) 14 Individuals Target Implementation – NOT YET DETERMINED OPTS Service(s) – Prevocational Services This proposal will be a prevocational service to fourteen individuals in the context of a thrift store operation, “Fashion Works.” Services provided will include prevocational coaching, peer supports, role playing, mock interviews, individualized training to gain retail and customer service job readiness skills, and hands-on retail experience. 10. 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 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 Hudson Valley – Eileen Wood (845) 344-6530 Hudson Valley – Ira Rothenstein (914) 332-8957 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 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 11. 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. 12. 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