Resources
On July 1, 2018, the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) changed the way that you or your loved one receive services. Southern Tier Connect is here to assist you in navigating partnerships with a person you know and trust, close to home. To help guide you through this new process, we have compiled answers to some of your most frequently asked questions:
For Individuals & Families
What is Care Coordination (How is it different from MSC)?
Care Coordination is built on a foundation of successful Medicaid Service Coordination by the region’s leading service providers who will now provide comprehensive care management. This means your care coordinator will connect you with the region’s very best service providers, linking together healthcare needs, transitional, behavioral, social and community services, and individual and family supports into one comprehensive plan. A plan that will change as your needs change, that will be supported by the use of creative technology to connect you to service providers across our rural area, and backed by our commitment to fiscal responsibility.
How do I Receive Care Coordination through Southern Tier Connect?
If you feel like Southern Tier Connect is a resource that you or a loved one needs, you might find yourself in one of the following scenarios:
You have a child, or you are an individual who has just been diagnosed with a disability and don’t know where to start. The first step is The OPWDD Front Door. From this website, you can obtain contact information for all four OPWDD regions that Southern Tier Connect serves. More information about this process and a wealth of additional resources is available on OPWDD’s website. If you would like to speak with someone at Southern Tier Connect for further information about this process, please call our Information Line (607) 376-7526 x100 between the hours of 8-4pm Monday-Friday.
You have been told by someone at OPWDD’s “Front Door” to look into the different CCO’s in the area and would like some more information about us. Southern Tier Connect is unique- our approach focuses on our rural communities in 14 counties with resources spread far and wide. It is our privilege to connect the very best support to our clients. We will help facilitate your post-enrollment process with Southern Tier Connect. Call our Intake phone number at (607)376- 7526 x110 or send us an email at intake@southerntierconnect.org. We can help you through the eligibility process and provide a coordinated assessment called the IAM Assessment which will help determine the types of services and goals you or the person in your care would like to achieve both long and short term. We will provide you with assistance through the entire process and once deemed eligible for services. Our Care Coordination Managers (or CCMS) will work with you on an ongoing monthly basis to make sure your needs are being met in all areas of your life so you can be the most healthy, happy and independent person you can and want to be!
You or someone in your care is already eligible for OPWDD (Office of People With Developmental Disabilities) Services and are interested in switching their CCO (Care Coordination Organization). If you would like to make the switch to Southern Tier Connect, please contact our intake hotline- (607) 376-7526 x110 or email intake@southerntierconnect.org to begin the process of joining Southern Tier Connect!
Quality Assurance
Southern Tier Connect’s Quality Assurance department’s mission is to ensure that individuals are treated fairly and with dignity. You will find our Notice of Privacy Practices at the bottom of each page, as well as a form to report any Corporate Compliance issues below.
