By TRACEY DRURY
tdrury@bizjournals.com | 716-541-1609

State legislators are taking a hard look at safety and quality of care in residential facilities for people with developmental disabilities.

On June 3, legislators will hold a hearing in Buffalo as part of a statewide series of public hearings running through June 13. The hearings will examine the effectiveness of existing oversight and safety measures implemented in facilities and programs licensed by the state Office of Persons with Developmental Disabilities. The goal is to identify whether there is a need for improved procedures to protect residents in the facilities.

The Buffalo hearing will be held at 10:30 a.m. in Buffalo Common Council chambers on the 13th floor of City Hall.

The hearings, called for by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, are sponsored by the Assembly Standing Committee on Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, the Assembly Standing Committee on Codes and the Assembly Standing Committee on Oversight, Analysis and Investigation.

According to a post on the state Assembly website, the hearings are a direct response to a New York Times investigative report (March 12) on the care and treatment of individuals served in facilities and programs licensed by OPWDD.

The report described incidents of severe abuse and mistreatment of residents with developmental disabilities receiving services in these facilities and programs. According to the Assembly notice, the acts described in the article "taint the reputation and public perception of important programs and individuals who have chosen to dedicate their lives to providing care to this population."

The purpose of the hearings will be to examine existing state and regulatory oversight of the programs, review existing investigative procedures and policies as they relate to incident reporting, and explore additional safety and quality measures.

Oral testimony is limited to 10 minutes. More information is available online for those interested in testifying:  http://www.assembly.state.ny.us/comm/Mental/20110527/