New York state has accomplished a five-year plan meant to strengthen services and packages for people with disabilities within the state.
The new plan, although, factors to the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic and a major workforce scarcity for people who present help to New Yorkers with developmental disabilities.
There has additionally been a rise within the variety of youngsters and adults in New York who’re in want of further scientific help and have advanced behavioral and medical wants.
“The New York dream should be a reality for everyone in our state, including people with developmental disabilities,” Gov. Kathy Hochul stated. “This five-year plan provides a comprehensive roadmap to strengthen supports and enhance services statewide for New Yorkers with developmental disabilities – helping to build a more inclusive, equitable state for all.”
The plan was first put in place below a regulation authorised by then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo meant to strengthen services and assess challenges within the sector. The findings embrace the necessity to strengthen the workforce in addition to housing packages whereas additionally increasing help packages for people with sophisticated medical wants.
Non-profit organizations have over the past 12 months raised alarms over their deepening workforce wants and a push to increase salaries for help aides amid a churn of workers that aligned with the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the identical time, lawmakers and the governor agreed to improve pay for these employees whereas additionally making an attempt to discover longer-term methods of rising the workforce.
“I am very proud to release the agency’s strategic plan that will serve as our guide for improving the experience that people with developmental disabilities and their families have within our system and in their lives,” New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities Commissioner Kerri Neifeld stated. “The final plan represents the highest-priority goals and objectives of our stakeholders for OPWDD to pursue and will direct the agency’s focus over the coming years.”