Jefferson County Program
Self-Direction Staff
The Self-Direction team at DPAO is all about empowering people to live the lives they choose. Our staff works side-by-side with individuals and families to help them design supports that truly fit their goals, preferences, and daily routines, whether it’s navigating budgets, exploring community opportunities, or brainstorming creative ways to build independence, the self-direction team is there as a guide, a resource, and a cheerleader. We believe in flexibility and helping every person shape a life that feels meaningful and uniquely their own
Fiscal Intermediary
Fiscal intermediaries play a key behind the scenes role in making self-direction run smoothly. They handle responsibilities so individuals can focus on living their best lives. Fiscal Intermediaries help with things like processing staff payroll, managing budgets, completing required paperwork, and ensuring everything follows state guidelines. They’re the organizational backbone of the self-direction program. They work together closely with everyone’s planning team and help keep the program running safely and efficiently, while keeping the persons’ individual needs at the center of the program.
Jefferson County Free Standing Respite
Day Habilitation
Day Habilitation is a service we provide that is designed to help qualified adults gain independence, socialize, and become active members of the community. Our William J. McClusky Day Habilitation Center is a certified center that offers a structured environment for activities like art, cooking, and socializing. Each person attending our Day Habilitation Service will have a Staff Action Plan that has specific goals they would like to work on. Activities provided will allow attendees to work on learning and improving life skills such as Self-Help and Independent Living, Socialization, Volunteerism, Health and Wellness, and Self-Advocacy.
For more information on this service, please contact Jennifer LaVere, Habilitation Specialist, at 315-782-3577 ext. 243 or jlavere@dpao.net. You can also contact our Day Habilitation Coordinator, Robert Mullin at 315-782-5285 ext. 232 or rmullin@dpao.net.
Jefferson County Short-Term/Hourly Waiver Respite
We offer short-term respite services at our William J. McClusky Day Habilitation Center for families facing emergencies or needing temporary relief. We also offer activities throughout the month on evenings or weekends. Some of the activities include bingo, bowling, sporting events, apple picking, and zoo trips. We also offer activities such as a journaling group, Self-Advocacy group, Holiday parties, dances, and movie nights.
For more information on Short-Term Respite Services, please contact Maddyson Russell, Short-Term Respite Coordinator, at 315-782-5285 ext. 231 or mrussell@dpao.net.
For more information on our activities, please contact Michelle Pierce, Activities Coordinator, at 315-783-1949 or mpierce@dpao.net.
Community Based Pre-Vocational Services/Supported Employment Services
Community Prevoc Services offer a fun and exciting way for individuals with developmental disabilities to get ready for employment and meaningful community life! Instead of traditional classroom learning, participants dive into hands‑on adventures that build real‑world job skills. They get to explore different work environments through job shadowing, volunteering, and job readiness training. Along the way, they strengthen important skills such as communication, teamwork, problem‑solving, and workplace etiquette. Each program is personalized through assessments that highlight a person’s unique interests, strengths, and career dreams. Employment specialists and job coaches cheer them on with guidance and support at every step. With interactive activities and plenty of opportunities to shine, Community Prevoc Services help individuals build confidence, independence, and self‑advocacy while discovering what they love to do. It’s all about growing, connecting, and stepping boldly into the community with new skills and excitement for the future.
Supported Employment Services are all about turning job goals into exciting, real‑world success stories! These supports help people with developmental disabilities find and keep paid jobs right in their communities, working alongside coworkers without disabilities and earning at least minimum wage. The journey starts by discovering what each person enjoys, does well, and wants to try, then helping with job searches, applications, and interview prep to land the right fit. Once hired, job coaches jump in with hands‑on training, encouragement, and guidance to help individuals learn job tasks, build workplace confidence, and feel comfortable on the job. Once a job is secured, job coaching and on-the-job training are provided to help the person learn job tasks, workplace routines, and social expectations. Support can gradually decrease as independence increases, but ongoing assistance remains available if challenges arise. The overall goal of Supported Employment Services is to promote independence, build confidence, and support long-term job stability while encouraging full participation in the workforce and the broader community through meaningful employment opportunities.
For more information regarding our Employment Services, please contact Mary Ochoa, Employment Program Coordinator, at 315-777-4040 or mochoa@dpao.net.
Family Support Services
Family Reimbursement – The purpose of the Family Reimbursement Program is to assist families caring for family members with developmental disabilities at home to prevent or delay inappropriate out-of-home placement and to preserve and enhance a family’s ability to provide in-home care to their family member with a developmental disability. Funding is intended to complement, not supplement, other support and assistance programs. In addition, the initiative is an effort to give individuals and families more choice and flexibility in the selection of supports, build natural support networks and community resources, and recognize that individuals and families are best able to identify their own capacities and needs.
Information/Referral – Individuals enrolled in this program receive case management services if they are found not to be eligible for Medicaid, or if they are not approved for Care Management through a CCO. These individuals will only receive light touch, intermittent case management.
Family Education & Enrichment Workshops – The Family Education and Enrichment Workshops are typically held monthly, and their main purpose is to enhance the productivity of the individual. The workshops are group presentations from a facilitator, service providers, and professionals within the area on a variety of relevant topics such as wellness, nutrition, safety and any other relevant topics that may enhance the participant’s independence.
Snoezelen Room – The main purpose of the Snoezelen room is for enjoyment, however it is also used to improve quality of life as it is designed to stimulate calm and distract the senses. The sessions are participant led and can range from 15 to 60 minutes. The space is used to calm and soothe to provide a person-centered environment where the participant feels safe and comfortable, ideally decreasing anxiety and behaviors. There is no age limit for this service if OPWDD eligibility is established.
For more information, please contact Maria West, Family Support Services Coordinator, at 315-782-3577 ext. 260 or mwest@dpao.net.
Jefferson County Program Gallery
Lewis County Program
Family Reimbursement Respite Program
DPAO offers families the opportunity to hire someone to take care of their developmentally disabled individual in the home. The parent hires a respite provider and submits a voucher. DPAO pays for the services rendered by the respite provider. The participant must live with family to participate in this program and OPWDD eligibility is required.
Campership
The purpose of the Family Support Campership program is to assist participants and their families with funding to recover the cost of participants attending overnight/day camp or summer recreation program of their choice to include specialized camps/programs for individualized disabilities or a camp/program that is offered to community. Participants who also participate in an overnight conference will be eligible to use this funding to be reimbursed for conference fees, overnight accommodation, and meals. DPAO will also use this funding to host a weeklong Day Camp at a local community venue. A weekend retreat usually held in the fall at Beaver Camp will also be hosted by DPAO staff. These DPAO campership events are at no cost to the participants that wish to attend. OPWDD eligibility is a requirement, and the participant must reside with their family to be eligible for this funding.
HCBS Waiver Services
Free Standing Respite:
(Evening/Overnight/Weekend)
The free-standing respite program is for a developmentally disabled person of any age. An individual may stay for as little as an hour, overnight, for the weekend, a week, etc. The house is staffed by experienced people who try to make the individual’s stay as much fun, as relaxing, and as much like home as possible.
Hourly Waiver Respite/Recreation:
This program serves children and adults who are developmentally disabled who reside with their families. The respite program provides short term relief to the family by easing the stresses of caring for a disabled family member, while allowing the individual to benefit from recreational and leisure time activities with their peers.
The following services are available in both Jefferson and Lewis Counties:
Group Day Hab Without Walls:
This program is designed to be both engaging and person-centered, offering a variety of activities tailored to the needs of adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities. The staff is supervised by DPAO Habilitation Specialist and can be offered 1:1 or with a group.
The Day Habilitation Staff Action Plan is developed by DPAO Habilitation Specialist and goals include skill development activities, creative arts sessions, and physical fitness activities to enhance both cognitive and motor skills. Social skills building and community involvement projects are integral to the program, fostering interaction and a sense of contribution.
Additionally, the program incorporates technology for learning, therapeutic activities safety and life skill goals are also a key component, preparing individuals for real-world scenarios.
Community Habilitation:
This program is a community goal oriented directed by a Staff Action Plan through a DPAO Habilitation Specialist. The staff is once again supervised by the Habilitation Specialist. This program supports participants in achieving greater independence and community involvement through implementation of goals and valued outcomes. The goals are customized to align with the participant’s self-identified goals ensuring a focus on empowerment, independence, accessibility and achievement. This program is available to all ages and usually is offered 1:1.
Waiver Respite:
This program is an opportunity for participants to receive 1:1 respite without goals. Respite services provide temporary relief from the demands of care giving which can reduce overall family stress. Respite can be provided in the home or out in the community during the day, evening, or overnight. The staff is supervised by the Habilitation Specialist through DPAO.
HCBS Waiver Fiscal Intermediary and Self-Direction Services
Self-Direction:
This service is an option through OPWDD that is a Person-Centered Approach for a service that allows the individual to create their own budget within their individualized Personal Resource Allocation (PRA), hire their own Community Habilitation and/or Respite staff and have the flexibility to choose a variety of services that best fits their needs.
Support/Start-up Brokerage services:
Agency brokers serve Jefferson and Lewis Counties, and independent brokers can serve the seven counties listed below. Brokerage services support the person-centered planning process by assisting the person to develop a circle of support/planning team in order to complete a self-direction budget for his/her services.
Fiscal Intermediary (FI) Service:
This service is available to assist individuals in exercising budget authority. The FI coordinator assists individuals with the following functions of their Self-Direction Plan:
- Understand billing and documentation responsibilities
- Perform payroll and employer-related duties (e.g., withholding and filing federal, state, local and unemployment taxes; purchasing workers’ compensation or other forms of insurance; collecting and processing worker/broker timesheets; calculating and processing employee benefits; and issuing payroll checks)
- Purchase approved goods and services
- Track and monitor individual budget expenditures
- Identify expenditures that are over or under the budget
Counties currently served: Jefferson, Lewis, St. Lawrence, Oneida, Oswego, Onondaga, Herkimer.
Lewis County Program Gallery
