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What is the goal of the OPWDD-Georgetown University NCCC Partnership for Systems Change?

The goal of the OPWDD-Georgetown University NCCC Partnership for Systems Change is to advance policies and practices of cultural and linguistic competence, diversity, equity, and inclusion in all components of the intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) system of New York State.

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The project, established in October 2022, is funded by the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities through a three-year contract.

Kathy Hochul, the Governor of New York State, announced that: "As we work hard to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in our communities, I am excited to join this important partnership with Georgetown University. This three-year undertaking will help break down barriers that often prevent New Yorkers with developmental disabilities, their families and the people who support them from receiving the services they need to thrive."
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How is the OPWDD-NCCC Partnership Project structured?

The OPWDD-Georgetown University NCCC Partnership for Systems Change four* primary Components. Click on the boxes below to learn more about each component.

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The NCCC will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of all activities to determine impact and inform ongoing and future efforts within OPWDD focused on cultural and linguistic competence, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Many of the reports will be publicly available on this website.

Download the Project Abstract

Office for People with Developmental Disabilities "OPWDD" Component
This Project Component will:
  • Engage in a process to define and reach consensus on cultural competence, linguistic competence, equity and what they mean for OPWDD's mission, supports, services, and community engagement.
  • Engage OPWDD staff in a process to create a plan for cultural and linguistic competence.
  • Conduct an audit of OPWDD’s policies and practices to determine the extent to which they advance cultural and linguistic competence, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  • Conduct an assessment of the professional development interests and needs of designated OPWDD staff specifically focused on cultural and linguistic competence, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  • Implement a series of custom-tailored professional development activities for designated OPWDD staff.
  • Adapt and conduct the NCCC’s Leadership Academy for Cultural Diversity and Cultural and Linguistic Competence for designated OPWDD staff.
  • Support OPWDD in developing standards, benchmarks, and metrics to assess cultural and linguistic competence, diversity, equity, and inclusion within the New York State IDD system of supports and services.
  • Provide ongoing technical assistance and consultation throughout the three-year project.

Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) and their Families Component
This Project Component will:
  • Convene a series of virtual listening sessions that engage persons with IDD and their families to define equity and what it means for their interests, needs, the communities in which they live, and the IDD system in New York State.
  • Develop a report of findings and recommendations to strengthen capacity for equity, cultural and linguistic competence, diversity, and inclusion within the IDD service provider network.
  • Provide consultation to OPWDD to create a statewide leadership group composed of persons with IDD and their families across diverse racial, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, and other identity groups to ensure that the voices, interests, and needs of those with lived experience inform the provider network and OPWDD in system change efforts to advance cultural and linguistic competence, diversity, equity, inclusion, and system change.
  • Conduct a Leadership Academy pilot for persons with IDD that emphasizes their essential role in systems change efforts that support cultural and linguistic competence, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Provider Network Component
This Project Component will:
  • Engage the IDD provider network in a process to:
    1. Differentiate and define cultural and linguistic competence, diversity, equity, and inclusion and what they mean for the IDD system of supports and services in New York State.
    2. Assess the extent to which service providers have existing policies, practices, and resources for cultural and linguistic competence, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
    3. Develop a report of findings and recommendations to strengthen capacity for cultural and linguistic competence, diversity, equity, and inclusion within the provider network.
  • Provide technical assistance to the New York State Community of Practice on Cultural and Linguistic Competence in Developmental Disabilities.
  • Engage individual members of the service provider network in a statewide quality improvement process to assess existing strengths and areas of growth to advance cultural and linguistic competence, diversity, equity, and inclusion in their respective organizations and in the IDD system of New York State.
  • Provide consultation to the IDD service provider network to develop cultural and linguistic competence action plans, including how to plan for and manage organizational change based on individual organizational assessment results.
  • Develop a report that: (1) summarizes findings from the cultural and linguistic competence assessment process for the service provider network; and (2) provides recommendations to enhance statewide capacity for cultural and linguistic competence, diversity, equity, and inclusion in New York State.
  • Provide training to a cohort of state and regional IDD service provider associations to support their capacity to provide technical assistance for cultural and linguistic competence organizational assessment going forward.
  • Conduct a series of webinars for the service provider network on key practices of cultural and linguistic competence, diversity, equity, and inclusion in the context of IDD supports and services.

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We welcome hearing from you. Please email us at:
OPWDD-NCCCpartnership@georgetown.edu