People First News, June 2025

Willow Baer was officially confirmed as Commissioner of OPWDD after a full vote of the New York Senate on May 21 after being nominated for the position by Governor Kathy Hochul. If you missed the Commissioner's message after her confirmation, you can read it here. Since then, Commissioner Baer has been making the rounds advocating on behalf of the people OPWDD serves. You can hear her discuss proposed federal funding cuts and how they could affect New Yorkers along with other issues relevant to the developmental disabilities community on the most recent episode of Senator Patricia Fahy's podcast "Chat With Pat," Listen to the conversation on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

The Capitol Pressroom

Most recently, Commissioner Baer sat down with David Lombardo, host of The Capitol Pressroom, and discussed issues including boosting the direct care workforce, responding to federal Medicaid cuts, and promoting access to dental services. Check out the interview on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Get Outdoors & Get Together Day events will be held at 23 locations across New York on Saturday, June 14. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks), in partnership with the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) and several other state agency partners are hosting free or low-cost events to connect people to nature and provide increased access to the outdoors.  Most events run from 10-2 but check with the Park or DEC site where you wish to attend for exact times, specific locations and activities offered. Events will be held in many locations across the state, from Sunken Meadow State Park in Kings Park on Long Island to Reinsteen Woods Environmental Center in Buffalo. We can't wait to see you!

Join Us at the Empire State Plaza in Albany to Celebrate ADA 35

Get ready to celebrate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 35th anniversary at a special celebration at the Empire State Plaza on Wednesday, July 16. Flame the Band will be performing during lunchtime, from noon until 1:30 as part of the Office of General Service's popular Plaza Music Series sponsored by M & T Bank. FREE Players Drum and Bugle Corps will also be performing. More details about this special celebration commemorating the historic civil rights law, signed on July 26, 1990, that protects the rights of people with disabilities will be forthcoming. We hope you'll plan to join us, New York's Chief Disability Officer, Kim Hill-Ridley and self-advocates from across the state on July 16.

OPWDD staff and self-advocates continue to celebrate Pride Month by marching in Pride Parades held across the state. Above, Commissioner Willow Baer is shown with staff and self-advocates who marched with Team OPWDD in the Capital Region Pride Parade in Albany's Washington Park. 

The team of more than 80 participants was thrilled to show their pride and walk away from the parade with the Pride Center of the Capital Region's "Vibe Check" award! The award is given to the group or person with the most energy in the parade and festival. Earlier in the month, Commissioner Baer and Team OPWDD marched in the Buffalo Pride Parade. Next up is the New York City Pride Parade!

Café Joyeux is a coffee shop that brews inclusion by providing job opportunities for people with developmental disabilities. The New York City café on Lexington Avenue is the first one in the United States, and it’s part of a group of cafés from around the world that believe in inclusion and kindness.
Commissioner Willow Baer and members of the OPWDD team received a warm welcome when they visited the Café Joyeux in New York and loved seeing people of all abilities thriving at work together. Learn more about Cafe Joyeux and their important mission.

New Report Highlights OPWDD's Work With
Georgetown University

OPWDD continues its work towards an equitable service system and was pleased to release our first report on the topic: “Advancing Cultural and Linguistic Competence, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: OPWDD-Georgetown University NCCC Partnership for Systems Change.”
This report provides recommendations for cultural and linguistic competence, intended to increase the service system’s capacity to work well across all cultures, languages, communication styles, and more.
Information collected from Regional Provider Forums held in 2024 with OPWDD providers and community organizations informed the report. You can find the full report, its Executive Summary, as well as a clear language version of the summary on the OPWDD website here. 

Care Coordination Program Evaluation Report

The Care Coordination Program Evaluation report and Executive Summary is available for review on OPWDD’s website, along with a plain language version, which will be translated into multiple languages. OPWDD chose the American Institute for Research Inc. (AIR) to evaluate the effectiveness of care management services delivered through OPWDD’s seven Care Coordination Organizations (CCOs). AIRs review and recommendations, detailed in the report, will help OPWDD and CCOs understand how we can improve the quality and effectiveness of care coordination as well as outcomes for people who receive care management services.

To build upon New York State’s recent work on the Master Plan for Aging, Commissioner Baer established a new Commissioner’s Taskforce on Aging that will be charged with developing actionable recommendations to address the increasing needs associated with aging for people with developmental disabilities in New York State. The taskforce will be a time-limited subcommittee of the Developmental Disabilities Advisory Council (DDAC) and will be co-led by a member of the DDAC and the Commissioner's Office. The Taskforce's membership will include subject matter experts in health, aging, housing, and developmental disabilities, and will include self-advocates, family members, developmental disabilities providers, and Care Coordination Organizations, as selected by the Taskforce chairs. Be on the lookout for future updates from this group about how we can better support people as they age within our communities. 

Focused on the 2023 – 2027 OPWDD Strategic Plan and the agency’s progress to date, these forums are an opportunity for you to learn more about the agency’s work, tell us about your experience, and to share your thoughts and ideas for the future.

We hope to hear from self-advocates, families, and providers from a variety of backgrounds and from across the state at the forums.

Each forum will include:

• A brief update on OPWDD Projects & Activities from the past year
• Question & Answer session where you can submit your questions for OPWDD in advance
• Public Comment where you will be given three minutes to share your ideas and suggestions with OPWDD

Click a link to tell us you’ll be joining at one or more of the following events:

Commissioner Willow Baer had the opportunity to stop by the Kevin G. Langan School prom held by the Center for Disability Services at the Holiday Inn Express in Latham. More than 180 guests attended the prom that was sponsored by New York State Industries for the Disabled (NYSID).  The longstanding event, which has been going on for many years, has been one that students, parents and teachers look forward to each year. It's a chance for students to dress up, have fun, enjoy music and celebrate their accomplishments. Learn more about the Kevin Langan School.