Dear Friends and Colleagues:

I am excited to announce that the new Ombuds program, headed by Community Service Society of New York, is now open and ready to accept the calls of people with developmental disabilities and their family members in need of assistance resolving concerns, navigating barriers to services and making the right connections.

The new Ombuds program, which will operate independently of the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), was developed to provide education and help people better understand their rights, to provide advocacy and support for people navigating the OPWDD service delivery system, and to assist people with developmental disabilities and their families to resolve concerns related to service access and quality.

People with developmental disabilities and their families should continue to work with their care managers and their Care Coordination Organizations when it comes to service access and coordination. The Ombuds is not meant to replace the current mechanisms for accessing services but is meant to provide an avenue for resolving issues and complaints when existing mechanisms have not produced a resolution.

Community Service Society has a history of working with people with developmental disabilities, has experience in implementing statewide ombudsman programs and is ready to hit the ground running.   

To contact the new Ombuds program for assistance, please call 1-800-762-9290 or email [email protected].

For more information about the program, visit https://www.cssny.org/programs/entry/iddo.

Best Regards,

Willow Baer
Acting Commissioner

Read Governor Hochul's Press Release: Governor Hochul Announces New Ombuds Program to Help New Yorkers With Developmental Disabilities And Their Families