Summer Update

In the Driver’s Seat is celebrating!

On Monday, August 1, NYS Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC) awarded a grant to In the Driver’s Seat to expand our support and services. Over the next year, In the Driver’s Seat will:  
Expand our website and resources to the Albany and Hudson Valley regions
Continue to provide our newsletter “Power Steering”
Translate the website and newsletter into Spanish
Host focus groups
Collaborate to host 2 conferences – upstate and downstate 
Please connect with us @ inthedriversseatroc@gmail.com if you’d like to hear more about our plans. 

Many thanks to the DDPC for their generosity and continued support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. To learn more about the DDPC, please visit their website: https://ddpc.ny.gov. 

It’s not too late to respond and provide feedback to OPWDD’s 507 (5 Year) Plan! https://opwdd.ny.gov/strategic-planning/507-plan-plain-language  It’s vitally important for OPWDD to hear from self-advocates, families and providers about Self-Direction. It’s critical that Self-Directed services continue to provide choice, flexibility and remain person-centered. Please take a few minutes to respond to the plan, using this link: planning@opwdd.ny.gov .  You can also visit Connect to hear the conversation amongst family members, self-advocates, Support Brokers, FI’s and providers at a statewide meeting on July 25. This virtual meeting was sponsored by Westchester Institute for Human Development (WIHD), SOYAN (Supporting Our Youth & Adults Network, Inc.), NY Alliance for Inclusion and Innovation and In the Driver’s Seat.

On Monday, August 1, NYS Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC) awarded a grant to In the Driver’s Seat to expand our support and services. Over the next year, In the Driver’s Seat will:  

  • Expand our website and resources to the Albany and Hudson Valley regions
  • Continue to provide our newsletter “Power Steering”
  • Translate the website and newsletter into Spanish
  • Host focus groups
  • Collaborate to host 2 conferences – upstate and downstate 

Please connect with us @ [email protected] if you’d like to hear more about our plans. 

Many thanks to the DDPC for their generosity and continued support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. To learn more about the DDPC, please visit their website: https://ddpc.ny.gov

It’s not too late to respond and provide feedback to OPWDD’s 507 (5 Year) Plan!  It’s vitally important for OPWDD to hear from self-advocates, families and providers about Self-Direction. It’s critical that Self-Directed services continue to provide choice, flexibility and remain person-centered. Please take a few minutes to respond to the plan, using this link: [email protected] .  You can also visit Connect to hear the conversation amongst family members, self-advocates, Support Brokers, FI’s and providers at a statewide meeting on July 25. This virtual meeting was sponsored by Westchester Institute for Human Development (WIHD), SOYAN (Supporting Our Youth & Adults Network, Inc.), NY Alliance for Inclusion and Innovation and In the Driver’s Seat.

Is it time for you to revisit the fundamentals of Self-Direction? When there’s a lot going on (and when isn’t there?!?), it’s often helpful to go back to the basics and review why and where you started.

What is Self-Direction?

Do you know the best way to complete the DDP-2 (Developmental Disabilities Profile)? 

The DDP-2 identifies the level of support the young or adult child will be qualified to receive. The DDP-2 drives the Self-Direction budget to determine the amount the individual has to spend in their total budget. The Personal Resources Account (PRA) that is generated cannot be exceeded so it’s important that the DDP-2 is done correctly.

A few suggestions from the experts:

  • Just before creating the budget, it is crucial that family and their young or adult child with I/DD review the DDP-2 with the Case Manager to confirm that it is current and accurate. 
  • Be sure to answer the questions as if there is no one around to provide support – no prompts, gestures or “looks” to get what is being asked, done.
  • Avoid taking the Case Manager’s word that it has been updated recently and is “all good.”  Case Managers are required to review it at least once every 2 years or when needed. When needed is: before a Self-Directed plan is created or any changes along the way that could impact the plan.
 The Employment Equity Coalition is a collaborative initiative of Monroe County stakeholders dedicated to increasing equitable workforce opportunities, decreasing poverty, and removing barriers for people with disabilities in Monroe County and the City of Rochester.

Disability inclusion is crucial in the advancement of all communities. Individuals with disabilities continue to face inequities in many forms. The Employment Equity Coalition is a collaborative initiative of Monroe County stakeholders dedicated to increasing equitable workforce opportunities, decreasing poverty, and removing barriers for people with disabilities in Monroe County and the City of Rochester.

We are a resource to job seekers with disabilities, employers, school districts, and service providers on all aspects regarding disability employment. We are dedicated to moving the needle in disability employment so that this untapped market of qualified individuals have the same opportunities of those without disabilities.

We are seeking individuals with disabilities and employers to join this initiative and help inform the path forward. For more information, please contact Christina Eisenberg, Director of Employment Equity at [email protected]

ARE YOU CONNECTED?

Have questions about joining or using Connect? Click the following links to learn how to use the platform.

JOIN CONNECT TODAY!

Posted in