Employment First

About This Grant

$6,700,000 appropriated to change provider agency business model, incentize movement to employment from DH, PV and Pathway to Employment and to support the OPWDD Employment First initiatives. Establish New York as an Employment First State to increase the number of New Yorkers with disabilities employed in competitive and integrated jobs. OPWDD in collaboration with other State agencies will 1) establish Employment First guiding principles to ensure that every New Yorker has the option to choose employment first before recommending alternative supports and services and 2) will establish MOUs to formalize partnerships, detail collaborative efforts to better serve people with disabilities, develop innovative supports and services, and better share data, culminating in improved services across systems.