Guide
How to start OPWDD self-direction in New York
Self-direction lets you control an OPWDD budget and hire your own staff instead of accepting whatever an agency offers. The process is genuinely doable — it is just poorly explained. Here is the whole path, in order, in plain language.
- 01
Confirm OPWDD eligibility and get a Care Manager
Self-direction starts with an OPWDD eligibility determination and enrollment in a Care Coordination Organization. Your Care Manager is the person who formally opens the door to self-direction.
- 02
Attend a Self-Direction Information Session
Your regional OPWDD office runs required information sessions. They are offered virtually and in person. Bring questions — this is where the program stops being abstract.
- 03
Ask your Care Manager to add broker start-up services
Start-up brokerage is added to your Life Plan. At this point you name the broker you have chosen. You may interview several brokers first; choosing one is your decision, not the agency's.
- 04
Choose a Fiscal Intermediary
The FI runs payroll for your staff and tracks spending. Compare responsiveness and how they handle reimbursements — you will interact with them constantly.
- 05
Write the Start-Up Plan and Self-Direction Plan
This is the heart of it: your goals, valued outcomes, the supports you need, who will provide them, and how your week actually looks. Your broker writes it with you.
- 06
Build the Individualized Budget
Staff hours, community classes, transportation, respite, and other approved supports are priced out into a budget that matches the plan.
- 07
Circle of Support meeting and submission
The people who know you best review the plan, then it goes to OPWDD for approval. Expect questions and a revision or two — that is normal.
- 08
Hire staff and start — then keep it working
Once approved, you recruit and direct your own staff. Budgets get amended, life changes, and the plan renews every year.
Common questions
- Who is eligible for OPWDD self-direction?
- You need an OPWDD eligibility determination and enrollment with a Care Coordination Organization (a Care Manager). Self-direction is available to children and adults, and you can self-direct some services while keeping others agency-based.
- How long does it take to start self-direction?
- Most families take roughly three to six months from the information session to an approved budget, depending on how quickly the plan is written and how busy the regional OPWDD office is.
- Does a support broker cost money?
- Broker services are paid from your OPWDD self-direction budget, not out of your pocket. Start-up brokerage is added to your Life Plan by your Care Manager before the plan is written.
- Can I choose my own support broker?
- Yes. You choose your broker and you can change brokers if the fit is wrong. You are not required to use a broker attached to your agency or Fiscal Intermediary.
- What is a Fiscal Intermediary?
- The Fiscal Intermediary handles payroll for the staff you hire, processes reimbursements, and tracks your budget spending. You choose your FI, and your broker coordinates with them.
Getting help on Long Island
Ebru Altiner is an authorized independent support broker working with families in Suffolk County and Nassau County. If you are somewhere in this process and stuck, a conversation costs nothing.
Talk it through with a broker
Free, no-pressure consultation with Ebru Altiner, Authorized Independent Support Broker. Support brokerage is funded through your OPWDD self-direction budget, so most families pay nothing out of pocket.