The CDHS Special Projects training unit consists of approximately 175 consulting specialists outstationed in state agencies such as the NYS Office of Children and Family Services, the NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, and the NYS Department of Health. Some Special Projects staff are also assigned to certain local DSS offices within New York State . All of these highly experienced and knowledgeable professionals work collaboratively within their assigned projects at office locations in Buffalo, Albany, Syracuse, Rochester, Yonkers, White Plains, and New York City, to assist their state or district partners achieve their organizational objectives.

In addition to delivering traditional training and staff development services, Special Projects staff provide a broad range of technical and administrative assistance, multimedia design and production, training manual and curriculum development, long term care re-design, legal consultation, and program and fiscal analysis. Working in partnership with state and local agencies, outstation staff lend their knowledge and expertise to numerous mission-critical areas, including these:

• NYS Adoption Option
  Established over 10 years ago to hasten achievement of permanency for foster children across the state, this CDHS Special Projects initiative is comprised of seven adoption training specialists, an attorney, and two administrative assistants permanently assigned to five NYS OCFS regional offices. In addition to their training, these specialists provide technical assistance and support to the districts and agencies in their region and contribute their expertise in informing policy issues though the OCFS home office.
• NYS Welfare Management System (WMS)
  CDHS Special Projects staff provide training, Help Desk assistance, and wide-ranging systems and technical support for the NYS Welfare Management System, an online system and database of all public assistance, medical assistance, and food stamp recipients in the state. The WMS system is maintained and upgraded regularly to ensure optimal accuracy in assessing eligibility, determining benefit levels, generating benefit payments, tracking case histories, and achieving federal compliance.
• NYS Client Notification System (CNS)
  A subsystem of the Welfare Management System, the Client Notification System automatically produces notices sent to Medical Assistance clients to inform them of actions taken regarding their case. To assist in ensuring that clients do not have any lapse in Medicaid coverage that could negatively affect their health or that of other family members, CDHS staff under these contracts assists local districts in distributing client notices throughout the state. CDHS Special Projects staff also develop curricula and related materials, deliver training, and conduct systems testing in partnership with the NYS Department of Health.
• NYS Electronic Eligibility Decision and Support System (EEDSS)
  CDHS Special Projects staff design and deliver local district training, conduct testing, and provide related systems support for the EEDSS, a computer-assisted data collection and processing system. Designed to streamline the eligibility decision-making process, the system supports local district caseworkers in conducting thorough and consistent interviews of new applicants by programmatically providing questions appropriate and relevant to client-specific needs.
• Long Term Care Restructuring
  CDHS professionals are working with New York State Department of Health staff to assist in the re-design of the delivery system through which those in need of long term care receive needed services. In recognition of the statewide growth of the aging population, along with the ongoing requirements of those with traumatic brain injuries and related long term health care needs, staff are engaged working to help deploy a streamlined point of entry system, development of provider partnerships, submission of federal waivers, performance of policy and fiscal analysis, and paricipation in home and community based services reviews.

Special Projects staff also provide mission-critical training and staff development support and technical assistance in conjunction with these initiatives:

• Distance learning satellite telecasts and Web - enhanced learning applications (such as iLinc Communications Center)
• State Training and Registration System (STARS) Support
• Syracuse Regional Training Center (for the OCFS Bureau of Training)