Recap: 507 Plan & 1115 Waiver Presentation

On December 7, 2011 Sinergia was very pleased to welcome Katherine Bishop (above) from the Office of People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), People First Waiver Unit.  Ms. Bishop made a comprehensive presentation to a standing room only audience on the 1115 Waiver at Sinergia's Metropolitan Parent Center. In collaboration with the Manhattan Neighborhood Network, the presentation was taped and it aired on January 1, 2012 on their cable channels. The forum was simultaneously translated into Spanish and power point presentations were available in both languages.

Ms. Bishop led the discussion of the major redesign of the OPWDD system to better support people’s health, life skills and personal outcomes through increased flexibility, person centered services, care coordination and modernization of the financial platform. The lynchpin of the transformation will include development of entities that will be called Developmental Disabilities Individual Support & Care Coordination Organizations (DISCO).  They will be not-for-profit fiscal intermediaries and providers of care coordination, which receive all payments and may be direct providers and/or subcontract all needed services, including health care.

There was an extensive question and answer period where parents and providers were able to ask key questions about this future waiver which will have a major impact on the way that services will be delivered.  To get more information on People First Waiver visit their webpage: www.opwdd.ny.gov/2011waiver. Our appreciation is extended especially to Katherine Bishop and to MNN, the interpreters and staff at Sinergia for making this event possible so that both English and Spanish speaking parents become aware of these significant changes in the OPWDD system and how they will affect their children and adults with developmental disabilities.