What is the Coordinated
Assessment System (CAS)

The CAS is important in determining service

The CAS assessment is the way the Office for People with Intellectual Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) will determine the type, level, and amount of services people receive.

When the CAS is scheduled, be sure to tell the Care Manager everyone who needs to be at the assessment meeting. It is important that the people who know the person best attend the meeting to ensure that the CAS information is complete and accurate. You can ask the Care Manager to assist in changing the date of the meeting to ensure everyone is there.

What? Why? How?

How can I prepare for my assessment?

Review and update your Life Plan. If you do not have a copy of the Life Plan, you can obtain one from the Care Manager. This is an opportunity to let the Care Manager know if anything needs to be added or changed.
Review your past assessments (CAS and DDP-2). Check prior CAS summaries to see if there are areas of inaccuracy and things that need to be changed because they do not correctly describe the person’s current abilities and needs.
Talk ahead of time with the Care Manager to make sure that all information in the record is up to date, including all the doctors, therapists and specialists, medications and diagnoses.
Review the OPWDD CAS webpage: opwdd.ny.gov.

Be prepared to advise the Assessor about any behavioral or emotional challenges and support needs of the person. Let the Assessor know whether the conditions occurred in the past and are frequent. In some instances, the CAS collects such information not only with respect to the past three days of the person’s life but also relating to those issues and problems that are ongoing. The Assessor will put increased value on comments from a “knowledgeable persons” who spent time with a person during the past 3 days.
Those who provide active support to the individual, including family, advocates, and program providers should be present, if possible, so that they might have input on questions whether or not they have spent the last three days with the individual.

What happens before a CAS assessment?

The person and/or designated support may be contacted by the Care Manager and sometimes by a CAS Assessor or scheduler to set up the time and place for the assessment. The CAS relies on discussion and observation of the person, so you should consider whether it is better for your CAS to be administered in person rather than virtually.

What happens during a CAS assessment?

The CAS is administered as an interview.

Daily Routine — The Assessor will ask many questions related to how the person goes about their daily life and what support they need to assist in daily activities, such as preparing meals, travel difficulties, bathing and dressing.

Healthcare — The Assessor will also want to know about the person’s health conditions and any medicines they take.

Challenges — The Assessor will ask how the individual is feeling and how they communicate to let people know their preferences. They will ask what the individual needs and other challenges the person has and what works.

Don’t overstate abilities — It is tempting to describe your loved one in the best light. But because the CAS will be used to determine the need for services, you should consider how your loved one would function if they were not receiving any services or support.

What follows a CAS assessment meeting?

The Care Manager will send the person, family member, or other members of support, summaries of the CAS when it is finished. The summary documents are generated from the answers the Assessor has put in the computer and may not be easy to understand. Make sure that the Care Manager reviews all of the summary documents with you.

You may ask questions about parts of the summary documents which are not clear or which you think are incorrect. Your Care Manager should be able to help you contact OPWDD with your questions or concerns. You may also raise those questions or concerns about the summary documents directly with OPWDD’s CAS Department.