Care Coordination Organizations Transform Lives and Deserve Our Support!

It is critical that we invest in our most vulnerable neighbors. People with intellectual and developmental disabilities rely heavily on Care Coordination Organizations (CCOs), which directly connect individuals and families to the care, support, and opportunities that maximize their quality of life.

Care Coordination Organizations are required for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to access the Medicaid waiver services they need in New York State. They must not be forgotten in this year’s New York State Executive Budget proposal.

As the CEO of Person Centered Services, I have seen firsthand just how life-changing and transformative Care Coordination can be in our communities. Each day, Care Coordinators link people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to healthcare, housing, employment services, day programs, and other local supports.

Person Centered Services supports more than 18,000 children and adults intellectual and developmental disabilities across 18 counties in Western New York as they navigate a very complex system and access opportunities that are right for them. Care Coordinators work with individuals, families, community providers, and other organizations to make sure the dots are connected between all aspects of a person’s care.

Recently, a man from Jamestown, NY named Robert was able to overcome homelessness and frequent hospital stays through support from Person Centered Services. His Care Coordinator, with guidance from our specialized Clinical Team, linked him to permanent housing, mental health treatment, and a stronger circle of support.

To ensure that Care Coordination Organizations can provide the highest quality services for people like Robert, our team members require essential resources and fair compensation for their vital work.

For the past two years, Care Coordination Organizations have been excluded from the state’s Targeted Inflationary Increase (TII), which, if restored, would allow Person Centered Services and other Care Coordination Services Organizations to:

– Maintain and retain a strong and stable workforce

– Address rising operational costs due to inflation

– Continue providing high-quality Care Coordination to a total of 135,000 New Yorkers with intellectual and developmental disabilities statewide.

We call on New York State to restore Care Coordination Organizations as eligible programs in the Targeted Inflation Increase. This measure will rightly reflect how foundational Care Coordinators are to the system of care that New York provides to residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

As advocates for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, we also call on New York State to expand medication administration by trained Direct Support Professionals (DSPs). This means approving legislation that will, with strong guardrails, improve the health, safety, and continuity of care for those who work with DSPs.

We further advocate for the expansion of Medicaid coverage for Family Caregiver Services. This will authorize Medicaid reimbursement for eligible family caregivers of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities who provide specified in-home services.

By including Care Coordination Organizations in the Targeted Inflation Increase, expanding medication administration for DSPs, and increasing Medicaid coverage for Family Caregiver Services, the entire system of support for New Yorkers with intellectual and developmental disabilities will be greatly strengthened.

As a state that truly cares about its residents, I am convinced that New York can and will make these measures a reality. Person Centered Services has always promoted a vision of a community where all people lead fulfilling lives. Through our collective efforts, we can see that vision through.

I encourage you to learn more about how you can advocate for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities at personcenteredservices.com/advocate. Find out how you can share your voice and help make New York State work for all of us!