Overview
As part of the continuum of care, OPWDD also certifies a number of Specialized Residential Service options that are intended to for short-term and transitional use and have specific eligibility criteria and assessment processes based on specific need.
Access to the following Residential Services is by OPWDD referral only. OPWDD is in the process of building additional capacity in these types of opportunities.
Intensive Treatment Opportunities
Intensive Treatment Opportunities provide highly specialized and staff-intense long-term care and support to people with complex behavioral and/or medical needs. These opportunities include secure residential facilities at Sunmount in Tupper Lake and at Valley Ridge in Norwich. OPWDD is also building additional opportunities in Rochester.
These centers offer a range of services, including residential services, medical care, habilitation, and therapeutic support, tailored to the specific needs of each resident. The goal is to create a highly structured, supportive and enriching environment where people can live safely and comfortably while developing their skills and independence to transition to more independent living in the community.
Specialty Hospitals for Medically Complex Children & Adults
Specialty Hospitals are residential services available for children and adults with a developmental disability and very complex medical support needs that require highly specialized medical services. OPWDD specialty hospitals are designed to serve the needs of children and adults with developmental disabilities who have specific health care needs that cannot be served in any other setting. They serve as a transitional setting with the primary goals of prevention, improvement, or limitation of health care problems so the person can move to a less restrictive environment.
Admission to a specialty hospital is considered to be among the most intensive, or most restrictive, levels of care for people with developmental disabilities.
The SUNY Upstate Program
SUNY Upstate Biobehavioral Health Unit is a collaboration between OPWDD, the Office of Mental Health, and SUNY to support children ages 5 - 17 who are dually diagnosed with a developmental disability and a behavioral health disorder and who exhibit severely destructive behavior.
This inpatient program provides crisis stabilization and specialized psychiatric and behavioral treatment with a focus on safely returning children to their family home with appropriate wrap-around supports and resources.
SUNY Upstate has also developed an intensive outpatient program to support children and families with a gradual transition back home from the hospital setting. An Intensive Respite component is also available for OPWDD Home and Community Based Services Waiver-eligible youth at Access CNY to provide a structured, clinically intensive, short-term residential setting while attending the intensive outpatient program during the day.
Our Lady of Victory Intensive Treatment Program
The Our Lady of Victory Intensive Treatment Program is a collaboration between the Office of Mental Health, OPWDD, the State Education Department, and the Erie County Medical Center run by Our Lady of Victory Human Services in Lackawanna. It provides an elevated level of care not available anywhere else in New York State for people ages 12-17 who are diagnosed with autism or developmental disabilities along with a mental health diagnosis. OPWDD and OMH are exploring how this intensive treatment program might be replicated in other regions of the state.
Comprehensive Adult Transition Homes (CATH)
Comprehensive Adult Transition Homes, are specialized residences that provide enhanced behavioral intervention, treatment and support, behavioral analysis, and personalized preparation and skill-building for young adults transitioning out of more restrictive, campus-based settings (typically a residential school program). Comprehensive Adult Transition Homes are designed to provide high staffing support, on a temporary basis, to support a safe transition to a more traditional community residence.
Learn more about Comprehensive Adult Transition Homes
Read the Brochure
Watch the Video
Extended Treatment Unit
The Extended Treatment Unit is a limited capacity residential program that specializes in services for people who are eligible for admission to an intermediate care facility and who have co-occurring psychiatric or behavioral health disorders. This is for people who are ready to leave inpatient psychiatric treatment but are not quite ready to live in a fully integrated community setting.
Enhanced Step Down Programs for People with Mental Health Diagnoses (Coming Soon!)
OPWDD recently partnered with the Office of Mental Health to create five ‘step-down’ programs to help adults who are dually diagnosed with developmental disabilities and serious psychiatric conditions to safely transition back into the community following care in a hospital or other inpatient facility. The enhanced ‘step-down’ programs include teams and transitional housing to build skills that will help you successfully live in independent settings once you are discharged. The following providers have been selected to operate these programs: The following providers have been chosen to operate these programs:
- The ARC Jefferson-St. Lawrence, serving Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties
- AccessCNY, serving Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga, and Oswego counties
- CP Unlimited, serving Westchester County
- Family Residences and Essential Enterprises Inc, serving Nassau County
- AHRC, serving New York City