Assemblyman Billy Jones (D-Chateaugay Lake) announced that there was important funding for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities included in the 2021-2022 New York State Budget that will help North Country families. The state legislature was able to restore funding in the budget that was not included in the Governor’s proposal, along with a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for Office of People with developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) employees.

“Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities need our support. This year has been extremely difficult for this community, especially for those who live in residential settings who are two times more likely to contract COVID-19 than the general population, and unfortunately four times more likely to die from infection,” Jones said. “Hundreds of my constituents reached out to me concerned about OPWDD funding in this year’s budget, which points to how many people in the North Country are impacted by this funding. Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are our family, friends, and loved ones and I am proud to have helped fight for this important funding.”

Unfortunately, the fight is not over. DOH and OPWDD recently announced administrative cuts for residential programs that will reduce reimbursements rates by 50 percent when residents leave the facility to visit family, to receive therapy treatments, or for hospital stays were enacted on May 1. The cuts eliminate the occupancy adjustment resulting from vacancies and will cause many of these facilities to decrease the number of openings available for residents.

"I am thankful that Assemblyman Jones is an advocate for individuals with I/DD,” Robin Pierce, executive director of the Advocacy and Resource Center.“The May 1 cuts to residential services would penalize them for going to the hospital, receiving therapy, and even visiting family.And to do this after being in COVID-19 restrictions for over a year is unthinkable.Thanks to vaccinations, family visits have just begun again.It would be unthinkable to restrict them again when it is not necessary.Characterizing these cuts as being for 'empty beds' shows a misunderstanding of how residential services are provided. We still need to pay the staff who care for the individuals who remain at their home, when their peer is in the hospital or visiting family. We will continue our work with the state to identify thoughtful opportunities for savings, but what cannot continue is having the voluntary providers, who have seen no increase in funding, only cuts, take more cuts.Especially when it is not necessary. The state has just received generous federal support to offset the state’s fiscal challenges, these cuts are unnecessary.” 

Assemblyman Jones wrote a letter to DOH and OPWDD asking for these agencies to reconsider these cuts, “Residential programs should not be punished when residents visit their families, stay at the hospital, or receive therapy treatments. These facilities are their homes and the costs for direct care staffing are fixed and cannot be reduced simply because a resident is gone for the day.”

Overall, the state budget included $26.9 million for residential management within OPWDD and $20.8 million for Care Coordination Organizations rates. $12 million for local assistance programs for non-Medicaid payments and $10.5 million in funding for the fee-for-service Medicaid rate was also included in the budget. There was also $1 million allocated for the Institute for Basic Research.