consumer directed services strengthened in the budget

Melanie Shaw
Executive Director
New York Association on Independent Living

Monday, March 30, 2009

NYAIL's 2009 health care priority was the increase in access to and use of consumer-directed services. In response to the concrete proposals we brought
to the Governor and the legislature, the budget agreed to by state leaders and printed over the weekend includes $500,000 for expanding participation in
the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program, including contracts with peer based programs to assist those eligible, provide education and outreach,
as well as training for discharge planners, LDSS and others.

In addition, the CDPAP statute will be amended when the budget is passed to include county enrollment targets for CDPAP and annual implementation plans
to DOH by counties that promote consistency regarding approved service levels across the state. These requirements will broaden access to the CDPAP program
throughout the state.

These resources and changes to the CDPAP statute would not have come about without your advocacy. Thanks to those of you who came to Albany on March 17th
and who responded to action alerts thereafter. Thanks also to the persistent advocacy of Kevin Cleary, NYAIL's lobbyist.

More on the budget as we review it today...

Melanie

Melanie Shaw

Executive Director

New York Association on Independent Living

One Commerce Plaza

99 Washington Ave., Suite 806A

Albany, NY 12210

Ph. 518-465-4650

FAX 518-465-4625

email
mshaw@ilny.org

website
www.ilny.org