Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities

The budget enacted by the Legislature (May 16, 2002) makes the following changes to the Executive Budget:

·        Increases State Operations funding by $1.3 million, reflecting full restoration of the Youth Opportunity Program in the Central Coordination and Support Program.

·        Adds $3 million in Aid to Localities in the Community Services Program for a 3% COLA for voluntary agencies.

Additional information available as of the 30-day amendments to the Budget (analysis as of February 26, 2002):

·        20 of the 76 FTEs to be added in SFY 2002-03 will be PEF positions.

·        39 state operated NYS CARES beds will open in 2002-03, the last of the 100 state operated beds originally proposed in 1999-2000. 

·        OMRDD expects to have a system-wide reassessment of bed need completed by mid-summer 2002.

·        Taconic and Capital District DDSOs will continue to exist as separate DDSOs.

·        OMRDD management efficiencies for 2002-03 include:

o       enhanced control of overtime, focusing on a few specific DDSOs with identified overtime management problems;

o       development of an automated time sheet system for April 2003 implementation. According to OMRDD, this initiative will not include swipe cards or any similar technology, it will allow computer entry of information currently entered on paper time sheets and will enable electronic generation of payroll transactions.

o       strict application of the hiring freeze, hiring only for positions essential to health and safety and revenue generation

·        The capital appropriation for Institutional Services, Health and Safety Purpose includes $5 million for design work at the Institute for Behavioral Research for rehabilitation of Building 29.  This represents the restoration of the $5 million cut from a proposed $12 million appropriation in the current year budget.

The Executive Budget recommends (analysis as of January 24, 2002):

·        A net increase of 76 FTEs from the projected FTE level in the SFY 2001-02 Executive Budget for March 31, 2002.  236 FTEs will be added to the Community Services Program in SFY2002-03 and 158 FTEs will be eliminated from the Institutional Services Program for a net gain of 95 FTEs in SFY2002-03.  The increase in Community Services positions is probably partially due to the opening of State-operated NYS-CARES beds and day treatment opportunities.  It should be noted that last year’s Executive Budget projected that OMRDD would have approximately 22,182 FTEs on 3/31/2002 but the proposed budget now puts that number at 22,163 FTEs.  This reflects approximately 55 fewer Community Services FTEs and 49 more Institutional Services FTEs funded in SFY 2001-02 than originally projected.  

·        A proposed deficiency appropriation of $26.5 million for the current fiscal year.  This includes $4.2 million in personal services in the Community Services program (which contradicts the decrease in FTEs noted above) and $17.1 million in personal services and $5.2 million in nonpersonal services in the Institutional Services program.

·        Discharge of 164 clients from institutional care, with new admissions restricted to emergency situations and special treatment units.

·        The opening of 60 new secure beds at the Valley Ridge Center for Intensive Treatment (Norwich) on April 1, 2002.

·        Elimination of the Youth Opportunity Program, pursuant to Article VII legislation.

·        There is no recommendation for consolidation of the Taconic and Capital District DDSOs.

·        A $40.677 million increase in the personal service appropriation for the Community Service Program, which reflects the net increase of 94 FTEs for this program, as well as contractual increases.

·        A $22.392 million increase in the personal service appropriation for the Institutional Service Program, which contradicts the 158 FTE decrease in this program.

·        A $3.118 million increase in the personal service appropriation for the Central Coordination Program.  We believe this increase probably reflects the movement of 17 Information Technology staff contractual positions to state employee positions.

·        The following changes to Aid to Localities:

-         $42.8 million for NYS Cares, including 978 new residential placements.

-         a Medicaid trend factor of 3.69% for Intermediate Care Facilities (ICFs) and most Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) waiver programs.

-         Development of another 750 new supported employment placements, 750 day habilitation placements, and 140 new residential placements (with associated day services and service coordination).