Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN) Program

Children with special health care needs have an illness or condition for which they need extra health care and support services. These children might have a serious or long lasting: 

• Physical condition;
• Intellectual or development disability, and/or
• Behavioral or emotional condition.

Children's HCBS & CFTSS Agency Site Map

Children's Home and Community Based Services (CHCBS)

Children's Home and Community Based Services are for children and youth (under age 21) who:

1. Are enrolled or eligible to enroll in Medicaid - Some children/youth may be eligible for Medicaid if they are eligible for Children’s HCBS. If a child/youth does not have Medicaid and you think they may be eligible for HCBS, call C-YES at 1-833-333-2937
2. Need extra care at home or in the community to avoid the need for long-term inpatient care
3. Are in a higher level of care and would be able to stay at home with extra support

The NYS Office of Mental Health created multiple HSBC brochures and Q&A.

Clubhouses for Teens and Young Adults Battling Addiction

Clubhouses provide a restorative, non-clinical environment for young people whose lives have been disrupted by addiction to connect with others in recovery. Clubhouses are built on a core of peer-driven supports and services that help young people progress in their recovery, by encouraging a drug-free lifestyle.

Clubhouses for Youth cater to ages 12 to 17. Clubhouses for Young Adults cater to ages 18 to 21. 

Coming Out Support

Telling people about your sexuality is called coming out. This website provides helpful information "dos" and "don'ts" to support your coming out. Although this is a United Kingdom website, it provides good information for the lgbt community.

Community Coalitions and Prevention Resource Centers (PRCs)

The Office of Addiction Services and and Supports (OASAS) recognizes that real people on the local level can affect lasting change. A community coalition is a group of concerned citizens, big or small, working to shift attitudes, norms, and stigma, around substance use and prevention. All that is needed is a small, committed group of people to create real change for generations.

Prevention Resource Centers (PRCs) connect individuals with coalitions in their community. Prevention Resource Centers also provide regional training and assistance to help groups start a coalition and offer continued support for the coalition when it is operational.

Community Schools Technical Assistance Centers (TACs)

The responsibilities of the Community Schools Technical Assistance Centers (TACs) include statewide distribution of information on effective and promising practices in the establishment and ongoing management of Community School strategies through professional development and technical assistance activities designed to: 

• Familiarize school personnel across New York State with Community School strategies;
• Increase the knowledge and skills of school personnel and community partners to aid in the implementation, management, and sustainability of Community Schools;
• Promote the establishment and development of Community Schools that incorporate the characteristics of Community Schools strategies listed above: a rigorous academic program with strong supports, a full range of school-based and school-linked programs and services, and partnerships that demonstrate collaboration with the local community;
• Provide school districts with the tools necessary to design and implement needs/resource assessments that will provide the data necessary to effectively target Community School resources; Increase statewide capacity to support effective Community School strategies; and
• Identify and evaluate the school districts’ needs within a region in order to provide tailored technical assistance and professional development.

Community, Work and Independence, Inc.

Community, Work & Independence, Inc (CWI), headquartered in Glens Falls, NY, offers a diverse array of services for individuals with disabilities in Warren, Washington, Saratoga and Essex Counties.  Services include:  Residential, Day Habilitation, Community Supports, Pre-vcational and Employment Services, Clinical Services and Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program. Funding sources include OPWDD, OMH, ACCES-VR and DOH.

Developmental Disabilities Regional Offices (DDROs)

Developmental Disabilities Regional Offices (DDROs) are the starting point to apply for services. With an eye to enhanced oversight and quality improvement, the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) has established regions (“catchment areas”) that allow for better coordination of services with the State Office of Mental Health, State Department of Health and other agencies with whom we often partner in providing services.

In order to assist individuals and families to make informed choices about the supports and services best suited to their needs, DDROs work with local voluntary provider agencies to improve access to and coordinate services within a region (“catchment area”).

DDROs are responsible for the following activities:

• eligibility;
• intake;
• waiver enrollment (a Federal-State partnership which makes certain types of services available within the home or community so as to avoid placement in an institution);
• local management of Individual and Community Supports (ICS);
• management of resources for crisis intervention;
• advocacy;
• shared management of OPWDD statewide applications;
• service recruitment and development for the Family Care  program; and
• programs, services and supports for aging individuals with developmental disabilities.

Eligibility for services is determined by the Developmental Disabilities Regional Offices (DDROs).  Please contact the Eligibility Coordinator of the Regional Office representing the county in which the individual/family lives.

Lastly, DDROs act in a supporting role to DD State Operations Offices with regard to eligibility for others areas of statewide services including but not limited to: level of care determinations; clinical delivery and waiver service delivery; Article 16 clinics; quality improvement processes; review of audit reports for trend analysis; emergency preparedness; safety, security and maintenance; and implementation of OPWDD initiatives.

View DDROs using our MSNavigator Mapping Tool.

Developmental Disability State Operations Offices (DDSOOs)

Developmental Disabilities State Operations Offices (DDSOOs) administer and oversee state operations for the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), including the direct delivery of services and supports to people with developmental disabilities by state staff.  By focusing on local supports and services, statewide quality and consistency, and enhanced networking to promote best practices, DDSOOs are able to provide a consistent approach and culture, so that individuals and their families can expect continuous quality improvement in all services delivered directly by OPWDD across the state.

DDSOOs are responsible for the following activities:

• development and monitoring of OPWDD systems improvement (e.g., continuous quality improvement processes, plans of corrective action (POCAs), informed consent and Behavior Management Committees);
• offering specialized supports/services and service delivery in the areas of clinical and food services, waiver services and volunteers/senior companions;
• acting in the capacity of advocate when responding to stakeholder questions and legislative inquiries;
• oversight of support services (e.g., Medicaid compliance, HIPAA compliance and clinical records review);
• oversight of the Statewide Technical Assistance Team, which provides pre-survey and focused technical assistance activities to campus-based ICFs and other state-operated community-based residential programs in which quality improvement issues have been identified; and ensures ongoing compliance with federal requirements and  that program certification is maintained;
• management, on the local level, a variety of OPWDD statewide electronic billing and recordkeeping systems
• oversight of the day-to-day administration of State-operated Family Care; and
• oversight and coordination of fire safety initiatives, including development of evacuation plans in state-operated programs, and establishing and maintaining working relationships with local fire departments.

Eligibility for services is determined by the Developmental Disabilities Regional Offices (DDROs). Please contact the Eligibility Coordinator of the Regional Office representing the county in which the individual/family lives.

Lastly, DDSOOs act in a supporting role to DD Regional Offices in the areas of service development, local management of individual and community supports and crisis intervention.

View DDSOOs using our MSNavigator Mapping Tool.