In the latest effort to combat the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, the NYS Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) has announced a temporary suspension of services at all day habilitation, day treatment, and prevocational services locations.
All providers are required to suspend services effective no later than today at 5:00 p.m. Additionally, providers are being asked to provide alternative programming for families caring for loved ones at home who will be negatively affected by the suspension of services.
Importantly, day habilitation, day treatment, and prevocational services providers are required to submit a plan for temporary suspension to the OPWDD that includes alternative programming for families negatively impacted by the suspension of services. In the interim, providers are required to implement temporary suspension measures immediately without prior OPWDD review.
The plan must be completed utilizing a specific template (that has not yet been made available) and provided to the OPWDD as soon as possible but no later than Friday, March 20 via email submission to quality@opwdd.ny.gov. The OPWDD has asked providers that have questions or need technical assistance to contact their local OPWDD regional office.