January 4, 2022
CP State News
We're here for you!
Please forward this information to any and all health professionals within your organization and your community. Anyone can take advantage of this educational series as a way to improve performance in delivering high quality services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
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If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Cindy Morris, Project Director for the Clinician Training Program, at (518) 612-4510 or via email at cmorris@cpstate.org. Thank you.
State of the State
Wednesday, 1/5, 1 p.m.
Governor Hochul will deliver the 2022 State of the State Address tomorrow, January 5 at 1 p.m. You can view the livestream at www.governor.ny.gov. This is an important address where we will learn of the governor’s vision for her administration and policies in the coming year. We encourage you to tune in. 
Let's make sure our issues stay at the top of her mind by using the one-click advocacy tool at cpstate.org/advocacy and helping self-advocate BJ Stasio with his RISE UP campaign to deliver 10,000 letters to the Governor!
Updated Guidance on CMS Vaccine Mandate & Protocols for Direct Care Staff to Return to Work
Click here for updated guidance on the CMS Vaccine Mandate issued by OPWDD on 12/31. This document updates guidance on the applicability of the CMS rule to the OPWDD service system and is not intended to supplant the CMS rule. As stated in the attached guidance, providers are advised to conduct their review of the CMS rule and the QS0-22-07 memorandum and attachments.
Also attached are revised COVID-19 Protocols for Direct Care Staff to return to work that was updated on December 28, 2021. Be advised that the New York State Department of Health (DOH) is currently reviewing the recent CDC guidance on isolation and the return-to-work guidance may be subject to change. In the meantime, any questions or comments about this advisory can be sent to Susan Prendergast, OPWDD's Statewide Director of Nursing Services, at  Susan.B.Prendergast@opwdd.ny.gov
All OPWDD guidance related to COVID-19 can be found on the OPWDD website.
Updated COVID-19 Reporting Document
Click here for the updated COVID-19 Reporting document issued by OPWDD. Please note that while it is required to report the first positive or first presumed positive for a program via phone, it is not necessary to report subsequent positives or other statuses via phone, but to add the information into OPWDD’s Incident Report and Management Application (IRMA). It is not necessary to report a quarantine status via phone.
If you have any questions, please email incident.managment@opwdd.ny.gov .
Stanfort Perry, Executive Director of AHRC NASSAU, and member of NYAEMP, is having a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Virtual Conference on May 18, 2022.  There is no cost to participate, however you must register. 
CP of NYS | cpstate.org