September 3rd Deadline! Your Support Broker Might Need To Drop You!
According to OPWDD’s own Guidehouse Report, support brokers are among the most relied-upon people for everyone enrolled in self-direction.
You Need To Know Why So Many Support Brokers Are So Worried Today!
New rules under public review will require support brokers to complete and upload all service notes and billing within 2 business days of providing those services! There’s no exceptions, no grace period for anything that comes up, even if a support broker or someone they care for has a health crisis or other emergency!
Hard working, dedicated independent support brokers across the State are telling us that these unreasonable administrative burdens will force them to reduce caseloads. Some are already considering leaving the field, while others will hesitate to enter. How will you manage your budget without guidance and coordination from a support broker? How will you find a new broker if you’re dropped by yours? How will the system make up for what looks to become a dramatic loss of support brokerage services?
Together We Can Fight Back
Public Comment on This Rule Change is Ending Thursday Sept 3rd!
You must act now! Our Community needs more support brokerage services, not less. Please take just a minutes or two to send an email to rau.unit@opwdd.ny.gov. You need to write “ADM 2026-01 Contemporaneous” in the subject line so OPWDD knows you’re writing about this issue. We’d love you to CC: us on your email at info@c4sd.org. It will show OPWDD our solidarity, and it will help organize our voices!
Most importantly, share your lived experience and how losing support brokerage services has or would impact you! And please consider including these additional suggestions for a more reasonable approach in your email:
1. Remind OPWDD that Support Broker records are already subject to highly effective oversight, monthly review, and approval.
2. Ask OPWDD to require Support Brokers to upload their time records at the end of each month, or within a workable time frame, with their signed attestation that all records were created contemporaneously.
3. Ask OPWDD to distinguish between shift-based Direct Services like CommHab, and Support Brokerage Services which are Coordination Services provided for many different clients every day!
Visit our colleagues at SOYAN for a very informative Detailed Analysis!
We’ll be hosting important Town Hall discussions on Wednesday, September 2nd at Noon and 7:00 PM to continue rallying support around this critical issue.
Register Today!