Central New York Legislators Join Home Care Experts and Advocates to Save Services for Seniors and People with Disabilities and Preserve Local Jobs

SYRACUSE, NY – Amid a massive home care staffing crisis, Central New York’s State legislative delegation is calling on the Department of Health to save a popular home care program called the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) that is at risk of shutting down. 

Senator John Mannion, Senator Rachel May, Assemblymember Bill Magnarelli, Assemblymember Al Stirpe, local providers, and representatives from New York Advocates for Home Care gathered Friday at a press conference to ask the Department of Health to delay plans to shut down hundreds of agencies who offer CDPAP home care services. 

CDPAP allows home care recipients to hire family and friends to take care of them at home. With the current staffing crisis and ongoing pandemic, CDPAP provides a viable home care option for 139,000 New Yorkers. 

In 2020, the Department of Health issued a “request for offers” (RFO) requiring all currently licensed CDPAP providers to receive a new, additional DOH approval to remain in the network. Almost one year later, the Department of Health announced in February 2021 that just 68 of the nearly 400 qualified organizations who responded would be awarded contracts. Moreover, on February 25, 2021, during the legislative budget hearing on health, the DOH stated that an astounding 80% of the state’s 139,000 CDPAP consumers will be forced to seek a new agency under the Department’s plan. 

Senator John W. Mannion said, “We must stop misguided efforts by the State of New York to remove local administration of the CDPAP program. I’m fighting with my colleagues to save services for the elderly and those with disabilities or mobility issues and preserve these critical local jobs.” 

Senator Rachel May said, "People deserve to live and age with dignity in the communities and homes they know and love. One key to this is access to reliable services that provide the support they need to do so. Many of my constituents want to access supportive services from local providers who know them and their communities. The fact that Onondaga County, like many Upstate counties, will no longer have any locally-based CDPAP providers is unacceptable. I will work with my colleagues to ensure that the Department of Health rectifies this oversight and issues contracts to our local organizations.”

Assemblyman Al Stirpe said, “We can no longer stand by while our fellow NYers, who depend on these essential services, fall through the cracks because of misinterpretation that essentially decreases the number of trusted lead FI's.  CDPAP is an imperative program which allows people to access their services locally from trusted caregivers, enabling them to live fully.”

Rick Alvarado, President of New York Advocates for Home Care said, “Eliminating hundreds of providers from this essential program will cause a massive disruption of service. If the DOH implements this RFO, it will effectively dismantle the CDPAP program as we know it and eliminate home care options for those who need them. We are grateful to Senators Mannion and May and Assemblymembers Stirpe, and Magnarelli for their advocacy and commitment to saving the CDPAP program. We hope to work closely with Governor Hochul and the DOH to stop this RFO from being implemented.”

Paul Joslyn, Executive Director of AccessCNY said, “The Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program is critical to ensuring that individuals with disabilities, new Americans, and older adults receive the support and services they need to live independently in the community. Our organization has been providing these vital services in Onondaga County since 1992 and we are deeply committed to ensuring all members of our community receive the services they need to thrive. I thank Senator John Mannion and our other legislators for fighting to ensure that local providers who are invested in Onondaga County are able to continue on with their important work.”

Jai Subedi of Trucare Connections said, “The Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program is critical for immigrants and New Americans because of the ability to provide services with cultural and linguistic competency, and family values. We need to keep this program local.”

Tania Anderson, CEO of Arise said, “As the only designated Independent Living Center in Central New York, ARISE was part of the movement that began the Consumer Directed program to keep people out of institutions and in the community. ARISE has provided the Consumer Directed program for 23 years and has particular expertise, not to mention invaluable relationships with Central New Yorkers who depend on this highly personal service.” 

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