March 22, 2021
CP State News
We're here for you! 
CP State launches advocacy campaigns
to keep I/DD funding in final state budget
We're in the homestretch, but we need to keep up the pressure!
The Senate and Assembly One-House budget proposals include a COLA, restoration of cuts, Telehealth expansion, protection and enhancements of supports and services to children and adults with I/DD but we need to make sure that these provisions are included in the finalized NYS budget.
Tell the Legislature and the Governor to prioritize New Yorkers with I/DD in the final budget and that our kids deserve equity and access to a quality education like their public-school peers.
Send your supporters to www.cpstate.org/advocacy and let them know they can add their own personal story to the letter and send it once every 24 hours.
Send yours now! Just click the images below to get started 👇
Rally for I/DD funding - March 24, 12p.m.

Information for Joining the Rally via Facebook:
Wednesday, March 24, 2021 at 12 p.m.
Visit The Arc New York's Facebook page to join the live stream and participate.
Empower hosts COVID-19 vaccine Q&A webinar
Empower CEO Jeff Paterson recently put together a panel discussion on vaccine hesitancy. It includes the health commissioner from Monroe County, an Empower DSP, and several other folks from our field. The video offers useful information to help agency staff make informed decisions about vaccination.
Click on the thumbnail to watch the video.
IRMA changes delayed, OPWDD will send update next week
As you know, on Wednesday, March 17, OPWDD provided training about changes to group day services IRMA data entry. These changes were planned to take place on March 22, 2021. There has been a short delay in implementing these changes. OPWDD will send out updated information about these changes early next week. 
Vaccine info video available on SLMS
An online video training entitled COVID-19 Vaccine Information is now available in the Statewide Learning Management System (SLMS).
It is known that infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can result in a range of illnesses, from mild symptoms to severe illness and death. In this session, information will be provided regarding:
  • What is known about COVID-19
  • Key facts about the COVID-19 vaccine
  • Safety of COVID-19 vaccines
  • What to expect before, during, and after COVID-19 vaccination
Target Audience: Clinicians, Managers and Supervisors
How to register: You can register for the training in the Statewide Learning Management System (SLMS). If you need to create an account, instructions can be found on our website or by selecting this link: Create SLMS Account
If you already have an account, click the following link to enroll (sign in required): COVID-19 Vaccine Information
If you have any questions, please contact Talent Development and Training at (518) 473-1190 or email talentdevelopment@opwdd.ny.gov.  
CP State Training Series continues on 3/25
How to Build a Resilience Toolbox: A fun and interactive workshop for everyone!
When was the last time you took time just for you during the work day? Sally Manning and Jaydn McCune from Racker invite you to a virtual workshop on March 25 to learn some new ways to build your own resilience and the resilience of others.
As we start to see a light on the horizon at the end of this very rough year, it is really important that we all build individual and collaborative practices that will help us rebound and heal from these hard times.
In this workshop we will explore and experience some tools and strategies for self-reflection, renewal and connection that lead to resilience. Everyone will be invited to participate actively and to connect with each other through both audio and video for portions of our time together.
To register, please email Tim Ferguson at tferguson@cpstate.org. Everyone that signs up will receive an email with resources, a list of what to bring to the workshop and some simple ideas about how to prepare!
Advocacy Alert!
Set aside resources for community-based organizations from the state’s Healthcare Transformation Fund
The 2018 enacted state budget gave Governor Cuomo control over a new account that holds New York’s proceeds from health plan business transactions including the sale of Fidelis to Centene, and more recently the merger of CVS/Aetna, etc. We are calling for a set aside from future disbursements of these funds to be invested in community-based organizations that serve as the safety net for vulnerable New Yorkers. The time is now to demand fairness and equity in the distribution of these funds!
Use CP State's one-click advocacy tool to tell your Assembly and Senate representatives as well as Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins to request that the set aside language embedded in A 264/S2531 be included in the Assembly and Senate one house bills.
CP of NYS | cpstate.org