NYSACRA

News from the OPTS Administration Unit

1.                  OPTS Questions

2.                  Proposal Status Report as of 06/25/07

3.                  OPTS News – Last Issued April 2007

4.                  Streamlining of Stand Alone Group Day Habilitation, At Home and Respite Proposals

5.                  Brief Description of a Sample of Recently Approved Proposal(s)

6.                  DDSO OPTS Liaison Contacts

7.                  Information Sharing

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

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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 OPTS information and the revised application on the web via: www.nysopts.com

Proposals Received*                                                   492

Team Review Meetings Held/Scheduled                   457

Awaiting Scheduling of Team Review Meeting        2

Total Proposals Approved**                                      265

Proposals Approved May and June 2007                   31

Implemented                                                               120

Contracts Waiting for OSC signoff***                      13

* This number does not include proposals on hold or considered not OPTS (those returned to District/NYCRO for finalization).

                        ** Proposals approved includes 9 State (DDSO) Operated OPTS proposals

                        ***Contracts can not be implemented until OSC signoff is received.

The last issue of The OPTS News was April 2007. 

            In an April 18, 2007 letter to providers, OMRDD announced a change in how requests for new stand alone Day Habilitation (Day Hab), At Home Residential Habilitation (Res Hab) and Respite services would be processed. Effective Monday, April 16, 2007 requests for these services will no longer be processed through the OPTS pilot initiative. New requests for these services will not be considered part of the OPTS initiative and are to be sent to the local DDSO/NYCRO office for consideration and processing. OPTS proposals already submitted but not fully processed by the OPTS Administrative Unit, will also be returned to the DDSO/NYCRO.  For OPTS proposals not yet fully processed, OMRDD will provide a targeted level of resources within a reasonable range to support an existing request. The local DDSO/NYCRO already has allocations for new stand alone Day Hab opportunities. Day Hab, At Home Res Hab and Respite proposals already approved through OPTS will remain under contract within the OPTS structure.

5.         Brief Description of a Sample of Recently Approved Proposal(s)

Herbert G. Birch Services, Inc. (Bernard Fineson, OPTS #445)

20 Individuals

OPTS Service(s) - Supervised IRA with Residential Habilitation

- This proposal with provide enhanced community inclusion and activities to facilitate greater independence to a group of severely disabled individuals.  These individuals will live in six or seven bed IRAs with the focus of planning activities linked to their individual preferences.  The goal is to the individuals to be as independent as possible.

HASC Center ( Brooklyn , OPTS #453)

4 Individuals

Opts Service(s) - Supervised IRA with Residential Habilitation

- The referenced proposal will provide a residence, increased independent living skills and a broader community horizon for four men who currently reside with their families.  This will be done through enhanced staff training in individualized programs, person centered training and individual choice.

Elmy’s Special Services ( Brooklyn , OPTS #232)

3 Individuals

OPTS Service (s) - Supervised IRA with Residential Habilitation

 - The referenced proposal will provide three teenage males with an Individualized Residential Alternative.  Services will include a well trained staff, a 24-hour on-call nurse, a behavior specialist and an experienced OMRP/manager who is trained and familiar with OMRDD policies/procedures.  This will foster development to the highest potential of all participants.

Saratoga Bridges ( Saratoga ARC), (Capital District, OPTS #343)

3 Individuals

OPTS Service(s) – Supervised IRA Res Hab

 - This proposal will provide residential housing for three young men who wish to live together in a three bedroom home. These three men are friends and currently go to school together. All three are currently living at home and are looking forward to having their own home, living independently. All of the individuals are currently active in their communities and are looking forward to living in a neighborhood, and being active members of the community in which they will reside.

Catholic Charities Disabilities Services, (Capital District, OPTS #314)

3 Individuals

OPTS Service(s) – Supervised IRA with Res Hab

 - Through this proposal, Catholic Charities will develop a three person IRA in Albany or Schenectady County for young women diagnosed with Prader-Willi Syndrome or another similar eating disorder. One of the young women who will live in this IRA is currently residing in a 14 bed ICF/DD; the second is living in a residential school. The third is living at home with her family, but due to her diagnosis of Alfi’s Syndrome in addition to other behavioral disorders, the family is having difficulty maintaining her at home. Through this pilot, these three young women will receive the individualized environment and supports they need to function as members of the community.

Chemung ARC, ( Finger Lakes , OPTS #441)

5 Individuals

OPTS Service(s) - Supervised IRA with Residential Habilitation

- This proposal will create a Supervised IRA with Res-Hab for 5 adolescent girls with maladaptive behaviors and high special needs who require exceptional structure, supervision and supports.  With these additional supports, the girls will be able to develop in ways that they have not been able to in their current home setting.

DePaul Developmental Services ( Finger Lakes , OPTS #420)

4 Individuals

OPTS Service(s) - Supervised IRA with Residential Habilitation

 - The reference proposal is for (4) individuals who are diagnosed with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS).  They will be given the opportunity to live with other individuals with the same diagnosis in a setting designed to maximize their independence by assisting them in management of PWS.

Continuing Developmental Services, Inc. ( Finger Lakes , OPTS #396)

5 Individuals

OPTS Service (s) – Supervised IRA with Res Hab

 - At the request of and in partnership with five men and their families, Continuing Developmental Services, Inc. will open a supervised IRA designed to meet the individual needs of these consumers. One individual currently lives at home with his family, two are living in large IRAs, another lives in a non-certified home. All of these individuals are nonambulatory and have expressed a strong desire to live in a smaller home that is accessible and all on one floor. This will provide them with increased opportunities for socialization, community inclusion, independence, individualized attention and personal growth.

The Arc of Monroe County, NYSARC, Inc. ( Finger Lakes , OPTS #325)

10 Individuals

OPTS Service(s) – Supervised IRA Residential Habilitation

 - Through this proposal, The Arc of Monroe County will right size its 10 bed supportive IRA located in Fernwood Park Apartments to meet the needs of the consumers currently living there. A new four (4) bed Supervised IRA with Res Hab will be developed specifically to meet the intensive medical and clinical needs of the four consumers who will reside there, three (3) of whom will come from Fernwood. Six consumers have chosen to stay at Fernwood, and will do so, receiving the increased medical and residential habilitation services they need to maintain their valued outcome of living in the community.

Heritage Christian Services ( Finger Lakes , OPTS #375)

213 Individuals

OPTS Service(s) – Supervised IRA Res Hab

 - Through this proposal, Heritage Christian Services will offer enhanced, nontraditional therapeutic services to individuals in their residential program. The services to be offered by this program include, but are not limited to, massage, dance/movement, art and music therapies, life counseling, sibling activity groups, nutrition and cooking, gardening, fitness counseling/activities, dietary services, and other inclusionary classes/groups for the individuals they support and the community. Services would be delivered in the most beneficial environment for each individual, which may be the individual’s home, day program, a community setting, or the Pieters Family Life Center .

Lifetime Assistance, Inc. ( Finger Lakes , OPTS #317)

12 Individuals

OPTS Service (s) - Supervised IRA with Residential Habilitation

 - The reference proposal will downsize an existing 12 person IRA into (two) 6 person IRAs.  Services will include living environments that can meet the physical and behavioral needs of the aging individuals who will reside in the homes in order to promote life long wellness.

Westchester ARC ( Hudson Valley , OPTS #216)

6 Individuals

OPTS Service (s) - Comprehensive Residential Habilitation/Supervised IRA

 - The reference proposal will provide an Individual Residential Alternative (IRA) and Day Habilitation to six individuals who are in need of a medically enhanced handicapped accessible residence and day program.  Services will include Residential Habilitation, Day Habilitation, oversight and protection as well as nursing, nutrition and psychology.

Richmond Children’s Center ( Hudson Valley , OPTS #376)

12 Individuals

OPTS Service(s) - Supervised IRA with Residential Habilitation

- This proposal will relocate 12 individuals from an 86-person ICF into two (6) person Supervised IRA residences.  .  Services will include 24-hour direct support and clinical supports such as nursing, psychology, nutrition and speech, occupational and physical therapy.

ARC of Rockland ( Hudson Valley , OPTS #309)

27 Individuals

OPTS Service(s) – Supervised IRA Res Hab

 - In this proposal ARC of Rockland will downsize a 12 bed residence and a 14 bed residence to eight (8) beds each and develop two new residences: one new construction fully barrier free and wheelchair accessible with six bedrooms and the other, a purchased ranch with five bedrooms. Downsizing the existing two residences and purchasing the two new facilities will provide residents with more privacy (single bedrooms) and the opportunity for greater individualization while maintaining their ties to their community.

Family Residences and Essential Enterprises, Inc. (FREE),

( Long Island , OPTS #439)

3 Individuals

OPTS Service(s) –Supervised IRA with Comp Res Hab

- This proposal will provide secure community-based residential services for three developmentally disabled individuals with significant and lengthy histories of violent and other antisocial behaviors. The residence will be designed to provide a secure environment through enriched staffing patterns with the support team trained in crisis prevention and intervention. Individualized residential and day habilitation plans will focus on teaching participants to engage in safe and socially appropriate behaviors using a multimodal approach to treatment, with the goal of gradually implementing less restrictive measures as the individuals progress until they can ultimately be discharged to a more independent setting.

Federation Employment and Guidance Service, Inc. (FEGS), (Metro, OPTS #133)

9 Individuals

OPTS Service(s) – Supportive IRA Res Hab

 - Through this proposal, FEGS will provide enhanced direct care, support and clinical services to a group of nine (9) individuals in the “Special Needs Group.” The individuals who are part of this group are men whose cognitive abilities and living skills could enable them to live independently if they were not struggling with debilitating medical conditions and/or significant behavioral issues. These nine individuals will be housed at the same location, seven (7) in independent apartments and two (2) sharing an apartment. FEGS will provide these men with the diversified staffing supports they need to maximize their independence, increase their community socialization opportunities, maintain their diets and nutritional regimens and manage their chronic medical conditions.

Southeast Works (Western, OPTS #480)

6 Individuals

OPTS Service(s) - Supervised IRA with Residential Habilitation

- This project is to develop a Supervised IRA with Residential Habilitation for six women on the NYS Cares waitlist.  These individuals will be provided with adequate supports to maintain and increase their abilities, particularly those pertaining to Adult Daily Living Skills; including cooking, money and hygiene, medical and housekeeping skills.

Southeast Works (Western, OPTS #412)

4 Individuals

OPTS Service(s) – Supervised IRA Res Hab

- This proposal will establish a home for four (4) individuals with developmental disabilities who are experiencing various stages of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Each of these individuals has exhibited decreased cognitive skills and behaviors, as well as confusion and temperamental and aggressive behaviors. These individuals are at a point in their lives where they need an environment that offers minimal changes or disruptions, 24 hour awake supervision to ensure their safety, and one-to-one support with basic daily living skills from staff trained and experienced in working with individuals with developmental disabilities and dementia.

Southeast Works (Western, OPTS #489)

6 Individuals

OPTS Service(s) – Supervised IRA Res Hab

 - This proposal will establish a home for six (6) men with developmental disabilities who are ages 30 to 59. All six of these men are currently living at home with their parents who are aging, and are on the NYS CARES waitlist. The men will remain in their current day programs. Their new home will provide these men with an environment that will support their efforts to maintain and improve their abilities, particularly independent living skills. At this home, the men will also have consistent and frequent opportunities to explore their community and experience personal individuality, independence and inclusion; they will receive ongoing encouragement to live meaningful and productive lives.

Community Services for the Developmentally Disabled (Western, OPTS #466)

12 Individuals

OPTS Service(s) - Supervised IRA with Residential Habilitation

- This proposal will create two new, Supervised IRAs with Residential Habilitation.  One will be entirely barrier free and handicapped accessible, and the other will be partially barrier free.  These barrier free living arrangements will allow for its mobility restricted residents to be full participants in the daily operations of the house and continue developing their living skills.

Community Services for the Developmentally Disabled (Western, OPTS #479)

5 Individuals

OPTS Service(s) - Supervised IRA with Residential Habilitation

 - The referenced proposal will provide a Supervised IRA with 24 hour supervision, seven days per week for five individuals.  Services will include support to develop basic living skills, access medical linkage and follow-up and other needed day /residential habilitation services.

Cattaraugus Rehabilitation Center, Inc. (Western, OPTS #450)

2 Individuals

OPTS Service(s) – Supportive IRA Res Hab

 - This proposal will provide enhanced supportive IRA with residential habilitation services to two individuals who would not be able to live in a supportive IRA setting without these supports. It is anticipated that, through these enhancements, these two individuals will gain the skills that will enable them to live in a less restrictive opportunity. As individuals are able to move elsewhere, they will be replaced in the enhanced supportive IRA by other individuals in need of this opportunity to develop their independent living skills.

Genesee County ARC (Western, OPTS #499)

13 Individuals

OPTS Service(s) - Supervised IRA with Residential Habilitation

 - The referenced proposal with downsize an existing 12 person Intermediate Care Facilities (ICF) into two smaller Individual Residential Alternatives (IRAs).  Services will include a fuller staffing pattern including more clinical supports.  The new IRAs will include wider doorways, accessible bathrooms, and a ceiling mounted track power lift system to assist with transfer and the mobility of individuals within their living space.

Continuing Developmental Services, Inc. ( Finger Lakes , OPTS #350)

173 Individuals

OPTS Service (s) - Group Day Habilitation

 - This proposal will downsize its current day habilitation program into five small programs which will be geared towards the individuals’ specific interests and needs.  The programs offered will include a retirement program, creative arts program, sensory program, active program and a blended program.

Young Adult Institute (Metro, OPTS #465)

5 Individuals

OPTS Service(s) - Blended Day Habilitation/Pre-Vocational/ Supported Employment (Blended DPS)

 - This pilot will provide a blend of Day Habilitation/Prevocational and Supported Employment services for individuals living in Manhattan .  Services will provide each individual with employment, as well as a structured day habilitation program and pre-vocational training when they are not working.  The goal of this proposal is to ensure each individual’s success at his/her place of employment in addition to helping each individual with travel, employability skills and personal safety.

People, Inc. (Western, OPTS #391)

3 Individuals

OPTS Service (s) - Blended Prevocational/Supported Employment

 - The reference proposal aims to involve individuals with disabilities in the operations of the Museum of Disability .  The individuals will be supported employees of the Museum by providing tours and maintaining records and artifacts.  They will also learn skills that they will eventually be able to generalize to other museum or historical settings.

Cradle Beach (Western, OPTS #563)

6 Individuals

OPTS Service(s) – General DD

 - This proposal will create a new vocational program that will provide youth with developmental disabilities ages 17 and older with new opportunities to learn leadership skills while also providing them with vocational training, socialization and recreational opportunities. The six (6) individuals participating in the program will attend training weekends in the spring and the fall to prepare them for their apprentice leader roles. During the summer camp sessions they will assist the camp counselors to facilitate campers’ activities in areas including arts and crafts, beach and nature activities, cooking and at meals. Long term effects of this program may include increased opportunities for employment, increased productivity during employment, and improved social skills and increased self-confidence.

6.         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 – Joe Mahon                                         (607) 770-0232

          Capital District - Donald Going                       (518) 486-1313

           Central New York - Judith Luyben                  (315) 473-6654

          Finger Lakes - Patricia Barry                            (585) 461-8826

          Hudson Valley – Jackie Spring *                      (845) 947-6335

          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 Pesante                     (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 – Bonnie Evert                  (716) 517-3456

          Western New York - Richard Mahaney           (716) 517-2144

*new

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.