In November, 2022, New York State’s Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) officially released a five-year strategic plan called the Strategic Plan 2023-2027  Meant to be a guide to the agency’s policy and planning efforts for the next several years, its goal is to better meet the needs of the approximately 130,000 people OPWDD serves statewide.

By law, OPWDD must produce an annual report on its efforts and progress. Just released, the 2024 OPWDD Annual Report adds more concrete outcome metrics, data, and infographics than there were in the 2023 report (its first), as well as information on OPWDD’s Short-Term Housing Strategy.

That strategy is “intended to offer solutions to some of the most frequently heard concerns regarding the sustainability of Certified Residential Services,” according to Willow Baer, OPWDD acting commissioner, on the agency’s website.

FYI, in support of this strategy, OPWDD separately released information on its updated Certified Residential Opportunities guidance in the form of an Administrative Directive Memorandum (ADM) describing how the agency will manage Certified Residential Opportunities going forward.

The announcement notes that “OPWDD is committed to supporting people to live in a home of their choice where they can be part of their community. Part of upholding that commitment is identifying residential opportunities as soon as they become available and matching those opportunities with people who need the support of certified residential services, particularly those with the most immediate needs. To provide consistency and to enhance efficiency in this process, OPWDD is launching a multiple stage initiative to amend the process.” That ADM is Stage 1.

Below, some cherrypicked highlights from the 2024 Annual Report:

Medicaid Spending

• Spending grew year-over-year: Medicaid data for 2023 shows that OPWDD showed “continued growth” in two areas: The number of people served, which it reports is approximately 130,000, and the amount of Medicaid expenditures, which grew to $9 billion year over year, or $70,000 per person. Last year’s report showed about the same number of people served, so perhaps growth was minimal, with Medicaid expenditures totaling over $8 billion.
• Majority of spending is on seniors: Broken down by age, the largest chunk of Medicaid spending was on seniors 65+ (9,536 seniors served with expenditures per person totaling $154,428). Next was Adults 21-64 ($86,607 served with expenditures totaling $86,607), followed by Children 0-20 *(46,194 served with expenditures totaling $18,599).

Direct Support Professionals

• Recruitment & retention: This year saw the launch of a hashtag recruitment campaign, as well as other efforts such as toolkits and webinars for recruitment and retention. OPWDD also expanded a microcredential program at SUNY campuses. There’s no data as to whether the shortage of DSPs was in any way alleviated by such efforts.

Self-Direction (SD)

• Continued growth in number of people served: There was 120% growth since 2018 in people using SD, with a growing presence of children. The total number of people using SD in 2023 was approximately 33,000.
• Investment in new technology: OPWDD is investing in new technology for the SD model to “help streamline and improve processes for staff and for the people using, and supporting people who use, self-direction.” Updates will include: A single platform for FI’s, brokers, people, families and OPWDD, and the ability to submit and track budgets.

Crisis and Complex Needs Efforts

• More teams to provide assistance: Two Home Based Crisis Intervention (HBCI) teams are providing crisis and intensive in-home stabilization to children with cooccurring mental illness and I/DD for those aged 5-20 and their families. Two additional teams will be starting to expand the service statewide.
• Bigger footprint for Comprehensive Adult Transition Homes: OPWDD increased its footprint of short-term intensive residential services to support people transitioning from more acute clinical services through the development of six new Comprehensive Adult Transitional Homes (CATH). Additional CATHs will open in the future.

Care Coordination

• Managed Care Model Still Up in the Air: Over the part year, OPWDD assessed the effectiveness and sustainability of a managed care service delivery model in New York through an evaluation conducted by Guidehouse. The annual report notes the OPWDD website houses the Managed Care Assessment Final Report. FYI, it reads that Guidehouse “does not recommend a transition to full managed care for the whole OPWDD service delivery system.”