Overview
The Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) helps service providers address inflation by providing funding to first increase wages for non-executive direct care, support, and clinical staff and then to cover other critical service needs. Over recent years, COLAs have been included in the state budget as follows:
- April 1, 2022 (5.4%)
- April 1, 2023 (4.0%)
- April 1, 2024 (2.84%)
OPWDD providers receiving COLA funds are required to complete a certification form, confirming how the funds were used or will be used. They are required to identify wage increases given to staff and report that increase as a percentage of base salaries.
Each service provider submitted a completed certification survey describing how their 5.4 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) funding from the 2022/2023 NYS Budget and their 4 percent COLA funding from the 2023/2024 NYS Budget will be or was used to promote the recruitment and retention of direct support professionals, clinical staff or to respond to other critical non-personal service costs.