CP State News - Preschools in Yellow Zones, Social Eval Memo, Annual Conference

October 19, 2020

CP State News

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Yellow Zone testing not required for preschools

The governor’s office has clarified that the yellow zone testing is not required for preschools. For documentation they are pointing us to the governor’s orders that pertain to K-12 and do not indicate preschool.

As a reminder, the NYS DOH has determined that K-12 schools open to in-person instruction in yellow zones are required to test 20% of in-person students, teachers and staff, at least once a week starting Friday October 16, 2020, for as long as the school remains in a designated yellow zone.

You can read the full interim guidance on testing in Yellow Zones here.

OPWDD Admin Directive on Social Evaluation

Individuals with an intellectual and/or developmental disability (I/DD), and/or their representative, who are seeking to access the Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Waiver, Comprehensive Care Coordination and/or other State Plan Services, must submit the form: Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/IID) Level of Care Eligibility Determination (LCED). The purpose of this memorandum is to provide guidance and clarification as to the required elements of a Social Evaluation for purposes of completing the Initial LCED and to identify who is qualified to perform such an evaluation.

Click here to read the memo.

Stakeholder Policy Forum issues

Your Voice Matters survey about I/DD services

In cooperation with OPWDD, members of the self-organized Stakeholder Policy Forum, a group that got started during the Covid-19 pandemic, have issued a survey is about services for people with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities (I/DD).

They welcome stories from anyone. Please tell your story, and then answer some questions about what that story means to you. This takes most people about twenty-five minutes, though some finish in as quickly as ten minutes. To get started click here.

The Stakeholder Policy Forum created the survey with help from the NYS Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD). The survey will close on November 20.

You can email questions and suggestions directly to crowd.sourced.input@gmail.com.

Changes to seatbelt law take place Nov. 1

Effective November 1, 2020, NYS law requires that everyone wear a seatbelt, regardless of age and regardless of where in the motor vehicle they are seated. All vehicles utilized by OPWDD certified or operated programs for the transportation of individuals must have an operating seatbelt for each passenger.

These requirements do not apply to a passenger or operator with a physically disabling condition, whose physical disability would prevent the use of such restraint or safety belt, as long as a physician has stated the nature of the disability and the reason such restraint is inappropriate. Vehicles utilized by OPWDD programs may require special safety equipment, including harnesses, wheelchair securement devices, car seats, or supportive restraints, to meet the safe transport needs of individuals who cannot use a standard seatbelt.

Per NYS law, the backseat seatbelt requirements do not currently apply to school buses, buses, taxis, and liveries.

Mark your calendars!

Cuomo pitches national vaccine campaign

The National Governors’ Association (NGA), which is chaired by Governor Cuomo, sent a letter today to President Trump to request a meeting with the administration to discuss a national vaccine campaign. Topics that would be addressed in the meeting include the delineation of federal and state responsibilities, funding needs associated with those responsibilities, supply chain management, and the vaccine allocation process.