Understanding OPWDD and Care Coordination Organizations

To understand Care Coordination Organizations (CCOs), it helps to know about OPWDD, the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities. If you are new to services, OPWDD is where your journey begins.

What OPWDD Does

OPWDD is the state agency that plans, funds, and oversees services for New Yorkers with developmental disabilities, such as intellectual disability, autism, cerebral palsy, and Down syndrome. OPWDD works with many nonprofit providers that help people live, work, and take part in their communities.

Most OPWDD services are paid for by Medicaid, especially the HCBS Waiver, which covers community supports like day programs, employment help, housing options, and respite.

If you’re new, you start at OPWDD’s Front Door, which checks eligibility, learns about your goals, and connects you to services.

Once you have Medicaid, you choose a Care Coordination Organization. There are seven CCOs in New York State. You must be enrolled with a CCO to receive OPWDD HCBS Waiver services.

What is a Care Coordination Organization (CCO)?

CCOs help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities get the services they need. Created in 2018, they bring together healthcare, behavioral health, disability services, and community supports in one coordinated system.

Every person has a Care Manager who helps create a Life Plan, connects you to providers, supports major life transitions, and keeps your services and benefits on track.

ACANY (downstate) and LIFEPlan (upstate) support more than 47,000 people across 45 counties.

How Care Managers Help

• Build and update your Life Plan so supports reflect your needs, goals, and preferences.
• Coordinate health & behavioral health care.
• Support key transitions, including hospital to home and school to adult life.
• Help families with benefits, meetings, and complex systems.
• Connect you to community life: employment, housing, transportation, social/recreation, and Self Direction.

What the Results Show

Even though CCOs are still fairly new, early results are strong:

Health & Safety Outcomes

• Better Health and Safety: ER and hospital use goes down the longer someone is enrolled.
• More Independence: People use more types of community services over time.
• Strong Support: Most Care Managers stay in close contact and meet with people regularly.
• Good Communication: Most people and families say their communication needs are met.
• High Satisfaction: Many are satisfied with their Life Plans, Care Managers, and CCOs.
• Better Youth Transitions: Care managers often work with schools and adult providers to support young people moving into adulthood.