Our partner at SAP Litmos recently featured CP State’s use of the online learning platform to provide efficient and thorough training for Affiliate staff.

With twenty-four affiliate agencies providing service to more than 100,000 people with disabilities, CP State has around 10,000 Affiliate employees using SAP Litmos to train in providing services and programs for individuals with disabilities.
Watch our story below and read more here.

Governor Cuomo has released Executive Order 202.74. Please find the Executive Order here.

Effective Friday, November 13, 2020, the Executive Order makes the following suspensions, modifications, and directives through December 12, 2020:

• All “liquor stores” and “wine stores” that are licensed by the State Liquor Authority (SLA) are required to cease all off premises sales and close at or before 10:00 p.m., and not reopen before relevant county opening hours permit.
• All businesses that are licensed by the SLA for on premises service of alcoholic beverages, are required to cease all on premises service and consumption of food and beverages (including alcoholic beverages), inside or outside, at or before 10:00 p.m. and not reopen before the later of any stipulated opening hours or existing county opening hours permit. To-go and delivery service of food, and non-alcoholic beverages only, may continue until the earlier of any stipulated closing hours or existing county closing hours.
• All restaurants, even those not licensed by the SLA, are required to cease in-person dining at 10:00 p.m., but may continue curbside takeout and delivery service after 10:00 p.m. so long as otherwise permitted, and may reopen no earlier than 5:00 a.m.
  • The above provisions will be subject to reasonable limitations and procedures set by the Chairman of the State Liquor Authority and/or any relevant Department of Health guidance.
• Gyms and fitness centers must close to the public at 10:00 p.m., and cannot reopen until 5:00 a.m.
• Previous Executive Order provisions limiting non-essential gatherings are modified only insofar as to further limit non-essential private residential gatherings to 10 or fewer individuals for any lawful purpose or reason, provided that social distancing, face covering, and cleaning and disinfection protocols required by the Department of Health are adhered to.

We are very excited to announce that, once again, artists from the world-renowned New York City Ballet have partnered with CP State to conduct a dance workshop designed specifically for people with disabilities.

As part of “Connections”, the 2020 CP of NYS Virtual Conference, we will present this virtual workshop on October 28, from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm. We encourage you to share this information with anyone in your organization, including families, who may be interested in this exciting opportunity.

A New York City Ballet (NYCB) dancer and pianist will conduct a dance movement workshop based on a ballet from the Company’s vast repertoire.

You won’t want to miss this session!

If you’ve been lucky enough to see or participate in our CP of NYS/NYCB workshops in the past, you know what a good time this is!

Below is the link for this workshop.  You can share this with your staff and families, and they will be able to access this event from any safe and suitable site with a reliable internet connection.

 Topic: 10-28-20 NYC Ballet Workshop

Time: 10:30am to 12:00pm

Meeting ID: 933 9180 7182

Passcode: 063374

 To Join by Video: 

https://CPofNYS.zoom.us/j/93391807182?pwd=VlV3aU5sVjE2ZmlTYU1QTUU5aEdpdz09

One tap mobile:  +13017158592,,93391807182#     or     +16468769923,,93391807182#

To Join by Telephone:

        +1 301 715 8592

        +1 312 626 6799

        +1 646 876 9923

        +1 253 215 8782

        +1 346 248 7799

        +1 669 900 6833

Meeting ID: 933 9180 7182

To participate in other CP of NYS Virtual Conference sessions, please contact your agency’s Conference Liaison.  Your Conference Liaison will receive the links to the other sessions by the end of the week.

If you have any questions, please contact me at dwilliams@cpstate.org, or by calling 518-436-0178.

Election Day 2020 is November 3. Deadlines to request an absentee ballot or an accessible absentee ballot are coming even sooner. There is so much on the line this year, and voting is absolutely critical to ensure that Medicaid and programs like CDPA continue to exist and are available to everyone who needs it. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to help shape the future of healthcare access and vital long-term care services.

Make sure you are registered to vote, find your polling place, and check out the dates for important deadlines below, as well as information on how you can make sure your vote counts.

Make a plan to vote.

• Absentee ballot request deadline – October 27
  • Absentee ballots must be requested on or before October 27, 2020.
  • Ballots sent by mail must be postmarked on or before November 3, 2020.
  • Ballots must be returned in person by 9 PM on November 3, 2020.
  • Request an absentee ballot here.
• Accessible Absentee ballot request deadline – October 27
  • The form to request an accessible absentee ballot must be submitted on or before October 27, 2020.
  • Completed accessible ballots must be postmarked on or before November 3, 2020.
  • Completed accessible ballots must be returned in person by 9 PM on November 3, 2020.
  • Request an accessible ballot here.
• Early voting – October 24 to November 1
  • Find the times and days for early voting in your county here.

Want to do more? Check out these online tools and resources from our partners at the New York Association on Independent Living to help organize and educate voters with disabilities.
The following information is provided by OPWDD:

The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (also known as “The Motor Voter Act”) made it easier for all Americans, regardless of ability, to exercise their fundamental right to vote. The Motor Voter Act requires all offices of State-funded programs that are primarily engaged in providing services to persons with disabilities to provide all program applicants with voter registration forms and to assist in their completion and submission.

OPWDD is committed to ensuring that voting rights are upheld for the people we serve, and that every person is given the opportunity to register to vote. Every effort should be made to discuss with individuals their right to vote and to encourage and assist with any interest in doing so.

This year’s general election will be held: Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

In NYS, the deadline to register to vote is: Friday, October 9th, 2020, and it can be done online, in person or by mail.

Additionally, if registered to vote, mail-in ballots can be requested by Tuesday, October 27, 2020. Several early voting days will be available, beginning October 24th.

A safe way to vote must be discussed with every individual seeking to exercise this right.

Mental Hygiene Law 33.01 provides for equal provision of civil rights to persons with developmental disabilities and specifically includes the right to register for and to vote in elections “if in all other respects qualified and eligible.” New York State Election Law sets forth the qualifications for eligible voter participation. Section 5-106 prohibits those who have been convicted of a felony and those who “have been adjudged incompetent by order of a court of competent judicial authority” from voting. Interpretation, implementation and monitoring of eligibility criteria is left to the Local Boards of Elections and questions regarding specific individuals’ eligibility and registration statuses should be directed to the Local Boards of Election.

Counsel’s Office Bureau of Service Delivery may be contacted at (518) 474-7700 with additional questions.

Missed this session? Watch it now!

This session is for everyone!

The COVID-19 pandemic we’re all living through is scary and life-changing. It’s one of those things we’ll tell our grandchildren about—on par with the way life changed during world wars or the Great Depression. However, it’s bigger than the previous social shifts, not only because of its tragic outcomes, but also because it’s affecting so many of us at once and changing every aspect of life from the most significant (work, income, health) to the mundane (the availability of basic products).

To say that workers in our noble field are heroes is true yet may even be an understatement for what colleagues see in each other. Leaders today have been described as advocates, champions, listeners, and warriors. While disability providers have always faced adversity, something this big creates the opportunity for new thinking. A panel of CP Executive Directors will discuss the various obstacles and achievements from the year 2020. The group will share lessons about resilience and response; lessons about community; and lessons in finding happiness again as we look towards the future.

Speakers: 

Leisa Alger, Executive Director, Able2

Mary Boatfield, President & CEO, CP Rochester/Happiness House

Robert McGuire, Executive Director, Cerebral Palsy of Long Island

Back to conference overview.

Missed this session? Watch it now!

 

This session will discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, how agencies and health centers faced the challenges on their own front lines, and how healthcare was provided and ensured throughout the pandemic and will be into the future. Scott Landes, a researcher from Syracuse University, will discuss results from data analysis of COVID-19 outcomes among adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including data provided by  CP State Affiliates and other agencies across New York. Dr. Vincent Siasoco and Dr. James Powell will discuss the issues they face and the opportunities that arose that led to the implementation of quality systems and programs from a distance to keep a very vulnerable population safe.

Speakers:

Scott Landes, PhD, Syracuse University

Dr. James Powell, CEO, Long Island Select Healthcare, Inc. (LISH)

Dr. Vincent Siasoco, CMO, Metro Community Health Centers (MCHC)

Back to conference overview.

Missed this session? Watch it now!

We all want to advocate successfully and to be able to show that success to our supporters!

In addition to reviewing  the advocacy campaigns that CP State has conducted this year and currently has underway, this panel will look at public relations strategy surrounding an advocacy campaign, choosing the right tactics and setting objective goals for determining success. We’ll hear best practices from the viewpoints of elected officials, government-relations professionals, and advocacy and PR consultants.

We’ll also have the unique opportunity to hear about effective strategies on engaging elected officials from both sides of table, as we’re joined by Senator David Carlucci, Chairman of Committee on Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities,  and Evan Sullivan of Ostroff Associates.

Panelists:

 David Carlucci, Senator

Barbara Crosier, CP State Vice President of Government Relations

William DeVoe, CP State Director of Communications

Thomas Meara, Kivvit Public Relations

Evan Sullivan, Ostroff Associates

Back to conference overview.

Missed this session? Watch it now!

Do not miss this opportunity to look at the critically acclaimed Netflix documentary “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution” with the people closest to the subject!

The documentary looks at Camp Jened, a groundbreaking summer camp that galvanized a group of teens with disabilities to help build a movement, forging a new path toward greater equality

A panel of filmmakers, activists, and members of Camp Jened will share their thoughts about the challenges and successes of advocacy for the intellectual and developmental disability field.

Speakers:

 Judy Heumann 

John D. Kemp, President and CEO of The Viscardi Center

 Jim LeBrecht 

Click here for more information about the documentary.

Back to conference overview.