OPWDD supports New Yorkers with developmental disabilities, and the entry point is called the Front Door. It exists to determine eligibility and to introduce families to the services available in their region.
Eligibility requires documentation that a qualifying developmental disability originated before age 22 and results in substantial functional limitation. Psychological evaluations, IQ and adaptive-behavior testing, school records and medical history all contribute.
After an eligibility determination, families attend a Front Door information session and meet with a regional representative to discuss goals and appropriate service categories.
Enrollment in Care Coordination Organization services follows. A care manager builds the Life Plan — the document that drives which supports get authorized and reviewed.
Families then choose between traditional agency-delivered services and self-direction, where an approved budget is managed with a fiscal intermediary and broker. Both paths are valid; the right one depends on how much administration your family wants to carry.
Families then choose between traditional agency-delivered services and self-direction, where an approved budget is managed with a fiscal intermediary and broker. Both paths are valid; the right one depends on how much administration your family wants to carry.