Missed this session? Watch it now!

We are happy to bring you this unique experience, a live Zoom workshop for individuals with IDD from around the state. 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 NYS/NYCB workshops in the past, you know what a good time this is!

Presented by Meghan Gentile, Associate Director of Education at New York City Ballet, and Members of the NYC Ballet

Meghan Gentile has served as the Associate Director of Education at New York City Ballet (NYCB) since September 2016. In this position, Ms. Gentile has spearheaded the creation of NYCB’s Access Programs: a branch of the Education Department providing programming for children and adults with disabilities, both on campus at Lincoln Center, as well as off-site at medical centers and special education schools in the greater NYC area. Within the department, Ms. Gentile is also involved in the creation, implementation and assessment of NYCB’s in-school residency programs, as well as public programs for all audiences, including on-stage presentations, movement workshops, and lecture demonstrations. Ms. Gentile has served the New York City Ballet Education Department in various capacities since January 2008. She holds a B.A. in Dance from the State University of New York College at Potsdam and a M.A. in Dance Education from New York University, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development.

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

Back to conference overview.

We’re excited to announce that the Affiliate appreciation videos have begun and will be posted every weekday until our Virtual Conference, October 26-29

We’ll post them below, but you can  also find them on CP State’s Facebook and Twitter accounts. Please like and share with your followers so they can see the wonderful work we’re doing throughout the state.

Upstate Cerebral Palsy

Upstate Cerebral Palsy of Long Island

The Center for Discovery

Queens Center for Progress

Jawonio

Inspire

HCA of Southern New York

Happiness House

Racker

Empower

Gavras Center

CP Unlimited

CP Rochester

Wraparound Services of the Hudson Valley

CP Westchester

CP North Country

CP Nassau

Able 2

Access CNY

Adapt

Aspire

Center for Disability Services

Electronic Visit Verification is required to be implemented as of January 1, 2021.  

Below are Q & A clarifications from NYS DOH.  These answers have not been formally released by NYS and are still “DRAFT” but they are expected to be released.

In addition to the questions below, OPWDD has said that remote services (day hab, com hab, and telehealth) do not require EVV.

 Q: If in home respite or com hab claims do not have complete EVV data after 1-1-2021,  would eMedNY deny the claim?”

A: NYS continues to build the EVV system that will encompass linked EVV data and payable claims.  At this time, a claim payment is not linked to complete EVV data submission for that claim.  NYSDOH reserves the right to conduct visit validation beginning 1/1/2021.

Q: Some Community Habilitation services are provided in the community. Is EVV still required if the services are not provided in the home?

A: Community Habilitation (CH) services are frequently provided in the community outside of the person’s home. A CH service claim would not require EVV reporting if the services being claimed are delivered entirely in the community. CH Services that are delivered entirely in the community are CH services that are not provided completely or partially in the home.  Please see EVV Applicable Billing Codes document for OPWDD CH rate codes that are impacted.

Q: Do Community Habilitation Remote (CH-R) services through OPWDD apply to EVV?

A:  CH-R services are subject to EVV if  they meet the following criteria:

• Is considered a Medicaid Personal Care Service (PCS) as described above, in other words the staff provide ADL and or IADL supports
• The services begin or end or are delivered entirely or partially in the person´s home
• The services are not provided in a congregate facility

If the Group CH-R is delivered in a certified residence under the OPWDD Comprehensive HCBS Waiver, Appendix K, it is not subject to EVV. 

To learn more about OPWDD CH-R guidance, please review the EVV Program Guidelines and Requirements document.

List of billing codes that are subject to federal and state EVV requirements 

These are effective 1-1-2021 and includes OPWDD com hab, respite, HCBS TBI, CDPA, etc.

https://www.health.ny.gov/health_care/medicaid/redesign/evv/repository/app_billing_codes.htm

 Interface Control Document (ICD)

As discussed on recent Technical Assistance Calls, NYSOH is posting a draft Interface Control Document (ICD) for review and comment. The ICD describes the relationship between the Electronic Medicaid of New York (eMedNY) information system and EVV Submitters and specifies the requirements of both participating systems. This includes the concept of operations, the file structure and protocols that govern the interchange of data, and the communication paths along which the data is expected to flow. The ICD can be found here.

Comments can be sent to EVVHelp@health.ny.gov.

 EVV Event Calendar

DOH will host a series of technical collaboration calls to assist with questions related to EVV implementation.

• Schedule of EVV Technical Assistance Calls

Ancor letter urging EVV implementation delay

Click here to read the letter to CMS/Seema Verma urging an EVV implementation delay from ANCOR, ACCSES & other national provider associations.

CP State will, once again, hold an art contest from which we will produce a commemorative poster. This year, more than ever, we believe it is important that we continue to offer opportunities for the people we support to express themselves through art.

ANNUAL ART CONTEST & POSTER 

Featuring Artwork by People with Disabilities from CP State Affiliates

We know that it may be more difficult for you this year, but we are asking that each Affiliate select and submit one piece of original artwork created by someone receiving services from your agency.  It must be submitted by the Affiliate. There is no minimum or maximum age. You may submit artwork by children or adults, but please submit just one piece of original artwork per Affiliate.

Please email a high-resolution (at least 240 dpi) picture of your Affiliate’s entry to Bill DeVoe at wdevoe@cpstate.org by September 14, using your Affiliate name and “Art Show” in the subject line. We will display the pieces in a virtual art gallery during our virtual conference October 26-28. A commemorative poster will be printed and sent to affiliates.

Please make sure that we have permission to publicly display the work and the artist’s name.  We ask that you obtain permission to use any of the art on our website or in some of our Conference-related materials. Click here top download the permission form. Please complete the form and send it with the artwork.

2020 SNAPSHOTS 

We will also conduct a photography exhibit. Make sure to submit work that we have permission to display publicly and on line A permission form is attached.

We would also like to have permission to use any photograph submitted in publications or online.

Please send us a digital version of the photo so that we may incorporate all the entries in the conference materials.

Contact me if you have any questions at (518) 478-4809 or wdevoe@cpstate.org.

The following Op-Ed appeared in the July 28, 2020 edition of the River Journal. 

NYS Senator David Carlucci

On July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law. Few laws have affected the lives of so many Americans, and even fewer have made such sweeping positive change. Thirty years later, we credit the ADA for improving accessibility—requiring elevators, ramps, and curb cuts. We credit it for reasonable accommodations and revolutionized telecommunications for individuals with hearing and speech disabilities. More than this, the ADA is a civil rights law, which prohibits discrimination often faced by individuals with disabilities. The law was the first step in guaranteeing equal opportunity to employment, housing, education, transportation and more for individuals with disabilities. Thirty years after the ADA’s passage, we celebrate the landmark law, and commit to the necessary reforms still needed to eliminate barriers for individuals with disabilities.

As Chair of the New York State Senate Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Committee, it’s been my goal to ensure equal access to independence, employment, and quality of life improvements for individuals with disabilities. My work has included authoring and passing a number of bills to this end like the NY ABLE Act and the Inspire New York Act. The NY ABLE ACT allows New Yorkers with disabilities to save for expenses related to their disability, without risking their eligibility for Medicaid or Supplemental Security. The Inspire New York Act provides a tax credit to employers who hire individuals with a developmental disability. Further, to help destigmatize disabilities in New York, I worked to update the State’s accessibility logo and remove the word “handicapped” from new or replaced signage. We know despite these reforms, barriers to equality remain in our state.

To help ensure equality, we should start with opposing the proposed $238 million in funding cuts to the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD). These cuts will harm progress we have made in New York, such as securing Direct Support Professionals (DSPs), who care for our most vulnerable, the pay increases they were promised. DSPs have been on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic since day one without adequate personal protection equipment, and now they stand to lose salary increases they deserve. With these proposed cuts, essential service providers who offer housing and support services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities will be gravely impacted, creating ripple effects that hurt those we should be protecting during a pandemic. Rather than slash funding, our federal government should be taking the necessary action to provide funding to States to protect individuals with disabilities.

It’s imperative the federal government work to eliminate barriers for individuals with disabilities by addressing unemployment. Thirty years after the ADA’s passage, the unemployment rate for individuals with disabilities remains more than double that of their non-disabled peers leaving many in poverty. Under current law, employers can pay sub-minimum wages to workers with disabilities—a predatory and unjust practice. Despite attempts to change the law passing through the U.S. House of Representatives, the law was stopped in the U.S. Senate. On top of that, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) remains inadequately funded, which is supposed to ensure that children with disabilities get the education and training they need to succeed. Ensuring a quality education, regardless of ability, should not be a political matter. These are just a few examples of a seemingly endless list of barriers that stand in the way of true equality for individuals with disabilities. However, these barriers represent a roadmap of actionable items that we must address to continue our progress in the spirit of the ADA’s thirtieth anniversary.

As we commemorate the ADA, we cannot backpedal in the fight for inclusion and equality. We must understand that this law’s passage did not mark an end to this fight, rather, a new beginning. Let’s be alert to the gaps that remain, continue our work to level the playing field, and fight to ensure inclusivity in all aspects of our society.

In June, CP Unlimited welcomed 2 students from Columbia University Graduate School of Business for the start of their Summer Fellowship Program.  Stephanie Lin and Li Wang met with CEO Susan Constantino and CFO Tom Mandelkow to share their interests in learning about the services we provide, and their hopes that their projects will provide useful analysis and information to CP Unlimited.

The Governing Board and Management of CP Unlimited would like to thank:

Bruce Usher, Co-Director of the Tamer Center for Social Enterprise; Elizabeth Strickler ’86 and Mark T. Gallogy ’86 Faculty Director &   Professor of Professional Practice at Columbia Business School for sponsoring the students and giving us the opportunity to host the fellows.

Our special thanks to Program Director Ivy Hatsengate for her advice and guidance.

========================

Stephanie Lin’s educational background consists of a double major for Finance and Statistics at NYU. She also has just finished her first year of an MBA at Columbia Business School and will complete her degree May 2021. Her work experience involves 3 years at Deloitte as a data consultant.

Her interest in CP U is giving her new experiences in working with a non-profit entity, particularly specializing in data analytics. Her experience as an intern is definitely helping her become ready for the nonprofit world: a sphere she hopes to work in post-MBA.

Stephanie wrote:

My project is about measuring the ROI of telemedicine. For context, CPU engaged in a telemedicine project since late 2018, and now want to assess if the grant money used to fund it was put into good use.

What I want to learn is what needs to be considered when assessing a project in the nonprofit space. I am used to evaluating the value of things from a for-profit perspective, so this internship is definitely a great learning opportunity for me to understand how nonprofits assess differently.

I hope to bring to CPU my background in data analytics for financial consulting, as well as my first year of an MBA education.

========================

Li Wang recently graduated from Columbia Business School with concentration in Finance and Healthcare Management. She received her bachelor’s degree in economics from Tsinghua University in China. Her focus on healthcare industry for 7 years in Tokyo, Japan involved working as a strategy analyst for Takeda Pharmaceuticals, then as a management consultant for Price Waterhouse Coopers.  Li has accumulated rich experience in business analytics and organizational transformation.

Her project in CPU will be looking at the impact at COVID-19 in an IDD setting. This will give her the experience in looking at the health care industry in US and understand the financial impact of COVID-19 to OPWDD service providers in New York State. She is looking forward to gaining practical skills in risk/crisis management.

Li Wrote:

I am trying to quantify the financial impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the revenues and costs at CP U, and develop forecast of the upcoming years and recommendations for higher operational efficiency.

This project is tremendously helpful for me to understand the services for IDD population, healthcare system in New York and the impact of COVID-19 on the economy and our society.

Hopefully, the project results will bring a bit more visibility of the operations for CP U and be helpful in preparation for any potential crisis.

The Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS), the Office of Mental Health (OMH), the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), the Department of Health (DOH) and the Office for Children and Family Services (OCFS) will be conducting three training sessions on completing the July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2020 Consolidated Fiscal Report (CFR):

All fiscal employees that feel they may benefit from the Webinars are welcome to attend. As each NYS CFR Agency is separately notifying providers, you may receive more than one announcement regarding this training.

Each session contains different content as noted below.

Session	Date	Start Time	End Time	Content
1	7/28/2020	10:00am	12:30pm	Getting started, Time to do the CFR, Core Reports
2	7/29/2020	10:00am	12:30pm	General and Agency Specific Changes/Highlights, Steps to a successful submission, Claiming
3	7/30/2020	10:00am	11:00am	COVID-19 Instructions

Use the links below to register for the sessions listed above. Please note that you must register for each individual session that you plan to attend.

Session 1 – Registration – https://meetny.webex.com/meetny/onstage/g.php?MTID=e4ad1fa88f2e46ba2b14c8bdf35febd6b

Session 2 – Registration – https://meetny.webex.com/meetny/onstage/g.php?MTID=e97cd7ef0c99db5963f623d46578c0f50

Session 3 – Registration – https://meetny.webex.com/meetny/onstage/g.php?MTID=e13f38bc338d35a6e17bec371ac74633e

After the webinar is completed, a recording of the webinar will be posted for your viewing and a link will be sent out to all registered participants.

Note: Representatives from the State Education Department (SED) will not be present at these training sessions, and information regarding SED programs will not be covered. SED encourages filers to view the CFR on-line training modules located on the Rate Setting Unit’s website at the following address for CFR training guidance: http://www.oms.nysed.gov/rsu/Training/CFRTraining.html

Governor Cuomo announced during his daily press briefing that group homes certified by the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) may resume visitations at their discretion beginning Friday, June 19. 

Visitors will be required to wear masks and will be subject to symptom and temperature checks. Cuomo indicated that providers must notify the state once they reopen for visitation and follow state guidelines, but the specific details remain unclear. We anticipate further guidance from OPWDD within the week. 

We realize restrictions on visitation put immense emotional strain on loved ones who have been separated for months. The advocacy of CP State and its Affiliates was instrumental in reopening visitation in our residential programs, with appropriate precautions and procedures to ensure the health and safety of the people we support, our staff and communities. 

We thank families for their patience and understanding throughout this challenging time, and staff throughout the state for finding innovative ways to sustain connections between family and friends. 

Click here to read the June 16 OPWDD Commissioner’s message on visitatation.