Public Policy Headlines

Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Department of Children and Families (DCF) “Realign, Streamline, and Restructure” Developmental Disabilities Services for Children

On February 24, DHS and DCF announced the following changes in service delivery:

  • Youth from birth to 21 will have support services provided through Dept. of Children and Families (DCF) in a tentatively-named Division of Child Integrated System of Care Services (DCISCS) - shift from the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) starting in July 2012 – DDD will continue to assist with eligibility determinations until January 2013 – this will create a single point of entry for children & families into the system and better provide a continuum of care
  • At age 16, caseworkers at the new DCISCS, will begin a “Transition Planning” program with families that will be coordinated with DDD for better transition into adult services and provide families with planning tools and strategies – the Community Care Waiver (CCW) eligibility process will begin at age 16 and be directed by DDD, not DCF
  • DDD will evaluate eligibility at age 16 and then provide either the new Supports Waiver (proposed within the Comprehensive Waiver now under review by the feds) or the CCW for those with more intense needs – getting a federal match is the goal – many support $ are now state-only funded
  • Governor’s Proposed Budget: To reduce the CCW waiting list (does not include Olmstead-eligible residents of developmental centers -DC’s-), new funding of $38.6 million (state + federal match) to serve 600 consumers in 2012 and 600 more in 2013. Olmstead community placements would receive additional $18.1 million for additional 300 placements over 2012-2013 to depopulate DC’s
  • DCF will assume responsibility for children in residential placements effective July 1, 2012 
  • Funding for family support will remain at DDD until December 31, 2012. DCF assumes this on January 1, 2013


Call or email me for details,

Bob Titus
 609-588-8200 x48

 

Appointees to Governor's Task Force on Developmental Center Closures Named


The Task Force, which was established by legislation in 2011, is responsible for performing a comprehensive evaluation of all the State's developmental centers and for providing recommendations for the closing of the centers.

Governor Appointed Members:

Craig Domalewski (elected Chair)- Senior Counsel to Governor Christie until December, 2011, Mr. Domalewski provided advice and counsel to Governor Christie and Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa, who then served as Chief Counsel to the Governor, on a wide array of legislative, legal, regulatory, and policy initiatives. Mr. Domalewski is a partner with the firm of Dughi, Hewit and Domalewski in Cranford

Colin M. Newman- currently serves as Senior Counsel to the Governor of New Jersey, where he functions as the Governor’s liaison to the New Jersey General Assembly and advises on pending legislation, policy, and legal issues

Nancy Thaler- the Executive Director of the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services. Ms. Thaler is the parent of an adult son with cognitive disabilities

Senate Appointed Member:

Allison Murphy (elected Vice Chair)- chief of staff for State Senator Jeff Van Drew, was selected by Senate President Sweeney

Assembly Appointed Member:

Valessa Rocke Goehringer- staff psychologist at the Vineland Developmental Center, was selected by Assembly Speaker Oliver

The Task Force Report, due in May-July of 2012, must consider the following:

The number of individuals with developmental disabilities residing in a developmental center who want, or do not oppose — or whose guardians want or do not oppose — community-based housing instead, and whose care givers have recommended such a placement

The present capacity of the community to provide or develop specialized services and supports to individuals with developmental disabilities

The operational needs of the state Department of Human Services in meeting the needs and preferences of all affected individuals served by those residing in developmental centers

The economic impact on the community in which the developmental center is located if that center were to close

Projected repair and maintenance costs of the center

Autism NJ supports the availability of a continuum of residential care options.

 

Governor Chris Christie’s Fiscal Year 2013 Budget Address



February 21, 2012

Governor Chris Christie, addressing a joint session of the New Jersey Legislature today, announced:

  • $10 million in new funding will go to the Department of Human Services. 
  • $24.7 million in new funding is also provided for individuals with developmental disabilities to expand community placements.  This will get more people off of existing waiting lists, support those who turn 21 and age out, and pay for the over 600 placements that occurred in the current fiscal year
  • The creation of a new division focused on children within the Department of Children and Families.  This division will be the point of entry for all families with children with developmental disabilities – allowing them to benefit from a battery of services without having to be shuttled from agency to agency
  • The new division will treat the whole child and the whole family – in one place.  The division will develop an integrated set of services. It will also provide a transition process through adolescence to adult services

Governor Christie noted: “How we care for individuals with developmental disabilities is a fundamental issue.  Let’s serve this population better.” The Governor and the First Lady have pledged to make the needs of adults with autism a priority and a personal commitment in 2012. Autism New Jersey continues to work closely with the Governor’s Office on these and all issues for the autism community.

Read Governor Chris Christie’s Fiscal Year 2013 Budget Address Transcript

 

Governor Christie Signs Bill to Assist Autism Community in New Jersey


Per Autism New Jersey’s Counsel David Filippelli, I have very good news to report.  After over a year of advocacy, I have been advised that the Governor has signed into law S-2028/A-2878 (Gordon/Vanieri-Huttle). This bill does a lot more than just collect data. For individuals receiving services, it stipulates annual notification by the Department of Human Services (DHS) of:

  • Which services are currently being received or the amount of the budget granted to purchase services
  • What a person’s status is on a waiting list and how many individuals with developmental disabilities are expected to be served within the next twelve months
  • How to utilize user-friendly information updating
  • Where information about services for persons with developmental disabilities and their families can be found

In addition, DHS must annually publish a report, available on its website, containing aggregate data about eligible persons with developmental disabilities, including:

  • The number of eligible persons by disability or diagnosis by county
  • The number of persons residing in developmental centers who have expressed a desire to reside in the community but are still awaiting placement
  • An explanation of how DHS determines to place an eligible person on a waiting list maintained by DHS, what criteria determine a person’s priority level and ranking within that priority level on the list and how a person is selected from the list to receive services
  • The number of people who are waiting for residential services; employment or day support services; family support services, and if so, which supports; and behavioral support services
  • The year in which persons requested placement on any DHS-maintained waiting list

DHS will report to the Governor and Legislature two years after the effective date of the bill, as to the progress of the data collection and reporting. The bill takes effect thirteen months after its enactment, in February of 2013. Autism New Jersey believes that public knowledge of this information is vital to both the executive and legislative branches of state government to make informed decisions on funding and overall policy for individuals with developmental disabilities, including autism spectrum disorders.

Autism New Jersey applauds DHS and Commissioner Jen Velez for their enlightened response to this bill as it was developed and the Arc of New Jersey for its genesis of the legislation.
 
Congratulations; this was Autism New Jersey at work.   Substantive analysis was offered to the legislature at key points in the process, and consideration of the impact on our constituents at all times while serving as their "voice," and for providing the push necessary to bring this bill to the point where the Senate would pass it in time for enactment this session.

 

UPDATE: New Jersey announces new Special Needs Housing Initiative


The New Jersey Departments of Community Affairs (DCA) and Human Services (DHS) announced on May 10, 2011 a new special needs housing initiative aimed to create affordable, supportive housing for 600 people with developmental disabilities by June 30, 2013.

The Department of Community Affairs signed a deal in December with 12 municipalities which allows the towns to spend some of their own money for new special needs housing. Lori Grifa, the outgoing DCA commissioner, expects the money to create 600 new beds by June 2013.

Under the deal, the towns will receive a dollar-for-dollar match on the money they spend. The towns committed $5.1 million, which the state matched.

Statewide, there are 250 municipalities with $280 million in their affordable trust funds — money collected from fees assessed on residential and commercial developers and set aside for low-income housing. Many communities, Grifa said, were hesitant to spend the money because of uncertainty over the state Council on Affordable Housing, which Gov. Chris Christie has abolished. Obligations for municipalities under Mount Laurel judicial rulings to allow and encourage affordable housing still are in effect however.

Funding Commitment by Town
Brick Township: $200,000
Denville: $250,000
Edison: $725,000
Florham Park: $400,000
Hanover: $775,000
Jackson Township: $250,000
North Brunswick: $250,000
Parsippany: $1,000,000
Randolph: $300,000
Roxbury: $500,000
Washington Township: (Morris): $200,000
Wayne: $250,000
Source: Department of Community Affairs

Instead, the Commissioner has said, she would prefer to let communities decide how and where to spend the money.

"We don’t want their money," she said. "We want them to use their money."
New Jersey has more than 8,000 developmentally disabled people on a waiting list for homes and services. More than half are considered priorities, and some have been waiting for more than a decade. Many live with aging parents who are seeking a place their children can call home before they are too old to care for them. And then there are the hundreds housed in one of seven state-run developmental centers, which the courts have ordered closed.

The DCA’s matching funds were meant to address the "significant housing needs of people with development disabilities," Grifa said. "The partnership encourages towns to use money they already have at their disposal to create affordable housing for people who are among the most vulnerable citizens in our community."

Under the state’s plan, municipalities would buy three- or four-bedroom ranch-style homes and two-bedroom condominiums, which would be renovated for the developmentally disabled.

“People with developmental disabilities are among the most vulnerable segments of our society who often rely only on the care and support of parents, siblings and other loved ones to help meet their daily needs. But what happens when caregivers become too old, too infirm, too financially challenged or simply too overwhelmed to meet the special needs of their family member?” Commissioner Grifa asked in a recent guest column in the Star-Ledger.

"’What will happen to my son, daughter, brother or sister, if something should happen to me?’ This is a constant worry that haunts every family tending to a loved one with special needs.”
Click here for more information

Click below to read news coverage
http://blog.nj.com/ledgerupdates_impact/print.html?entry=/2011/12/nj_prods_towns_to_spend_money.html
http://blog.nj.com/njv_guest_blog//print.html

Autism New Jersey supports a continuum of options for individuals with autism who are eligible for residential services. Community living with supports is the most appropriate outcome for the great majority of children and adults with autism. There will be a continuing need within the developmental disabilities community here in NJ, however, for service-intensive facilities for individuals with significant support needs, especially for the medically-vulnerable.

Furthermore, when individuals who have lived in developmental centers transition to community living, compassion and person-centered planning must certainly be part of any solution. Because of the intrinsic cost of developmental centers and the demonstrated ability of most residents to adapt to community living, the financial resources devoted to these centers would be better utilized by the closure of at least five of the seven institutions that currently are in service. This would allow many more citizens with developmental disabilities to participate more meaningfully in their communities and families’ lives.

Autism New Jersey applauds Lori’s leadership and vision and wishes her every success in the future. The partnership of the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) with the Department of Human Services (DHS) and the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA) is (as Lori has noted) a proactive, affirmative approach to address the critical housing need of people with developmental disabilities. We share with her the hope that many more people beyond the original goal of 600 can be reached.

 

Spotlight on: Tom M. Toronto, President of Bergen County’s United Way

Autism New Jersey has had the welcome friendship and collaboration of Tom since last year. In addition to joint attendance and testimony at the Division of Developmental Disabilities Housing Forums at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Tom and Autism New Jersey have recently linked several of our agency’s families with impending transitional needs to resources to develop future housing for their affected family members.

Under Tom’s leadership, United Way of Bergen recently completed an award winning project in Allendale (Orchard Commons) – recipient of the Governor’s Excellence in Housing Award - for individuals with developmental disabilities ranging from Down Syndrome to autism. As stated so well on the United Way of Bergen’s website, “Our experiences clearly demonstrate that with carefully tailored and individualized supports and services - all people can grow and develop in housing they control, be it a house, an apartment, or a condominium, no matter how significant their disabilities.”

http://www.bergenunitedway.org/housingworks.php

The desperate need for special needs housing as evidenced by the fervor of parents and a priority waiting list that exceeds 8,000 people with developmental disabilities in New Jersey alone, has generated another project specifically for individuals with autism in Ramsey. Support services will be provided by New Horizons in Autism, an agency with a long history of quality services for children and adults with autism spectrum disorders.

United Way of Bergen has formed the BCUW/Madeline Partnership to handle all aspects of development. The Madeline Corporation, led by housing developer, Shari DePalma, is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing affordable housing for seniors, families and individuals with special needs. BCUW/Madeline has participated in the development of 100 units of affordable housing in ten separate projects located throughout Bergen County.

Tom has 29 years of experience working for local United Ways in Bergen, Burlington and Hudson counties. Organizations that Tom is a member of include the Partnership for New Jersey; he is a graduate fellow of that organization’s Leadership New Jersey program and an active participant in the Supportive Housing Association (SHA) of New Jersey along with Autism New Jersey. Also active in his local community, Tom served on the Leonia governing body, is past treasurer of the Leonia Library Board of Trustees and was Chairman of the town’s Planning Board.

For more information on this housing issue, contact Deb Charette at 609-588-8200 Ext. 24 or dcharette@autismnj.org

 

 

Governor Christie Signs Bill Creating Task Force on the Closure of State Developmental Centers

State Senate bill S2928 was drafted to increase community participation in the decisions made by the state concerning the closure of developmental centers such as Vineland and North Jersey. For many years, the New Jersey developmental disabilities community has advocated for community-based living rather than developmental centers (institutions). But closing Vineland, some say, will have a much greater impact on the local community than closing another center.

Gov. Chris Christie on January 10th, 2012 signed this bill, which creates a five-member state task force — three members hand-picked by the governor, with the other two nominated by the Senate president and Assembly speaker and later approved by the governor — to review all of New Jersey’s seven developmental centers and make recommendations on where closures can be made with the least amount of pain to local communities.

Vineland Developmental Center was designated for closing in the 2011-2012 state budget before this latest event, noted Senator Jeff Van Drew of Cumberland County.

“Now, we’re equal partners in the process with the six other centers.”

In February of 2011, Christie’s office unveiled a budget plan that included closing the Vineland Developmental Center’s east campus, on East Landis Avenue, which employs more than 1,400 workers and at the time housed 388 women with developmental disabilities.

This, after the decision was made in Trenton a year prior to shutter the center’s west campus, on West Almond Road, for a savings of $160,000. That closure was completed this past summer.

However, the provision to close the VDC’s east campus would eventually be removed in favor of a bill reviewing all of the state’s developmental centers.

According to the bill, the task force, named the “Task Force on the Closure of State Developmental Centers,” will make their recommendation based on five factors:

  • The number of individuals with developmental disabilities residing in a developmental center who want, or do not oppose — or whose guardians want or do not oppose — community-based housing instead, and whose care givers have recommended such a placement.
  • The present capacity of the community to provide or develop specialized services and supports to individuals with developmental disabilities.
  • The operational needs of the state Department of Human Services in meeting the needs and preferences of all affected individuals served by those residing in developmental centers.
  • The economic impact on the community in which the developmental center is located if that center were to close.
  • Projected repair and maintenance costs of the center.

Members of the task force must be appointed within the next 30 days, according to the bill. They must meet within 30 days after the appointments are made.

The task force will make its recommendations in three to six months’ time after their first meeting.

Click here to read news coverage

 

 

Autism New Jersey Hails Passage of Bill Requiring Improved Eligibility Reporting by DHS for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities

 

public policy pic.jpg

Autism New Jersey Executive Director Dr. Linda Meyer,  
Senator Gordon and Autism New Jersey Public Policy Director Bob Titus

(Robbinsville, New Jersey) December 15, 2011 - Autism New Jersey, the state’s oldest and largest advocacy organization for individuals with autism, today praised the New Jersey Legislature for its passage of S-2028/A-2878, sponsored by Senator Bob Gordon and Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle.

The bill directly addresses families’ need for credible, reliable information that can lead to services for those affected by autism by requiring the Department of Human Services to collect and disseminate data about persons with developmental disabilities. This legislation is comprehensive, budget-neutral and long overdue. The Assembly passed A-2878 in June by a vote of 77-0-0. S-2028 was voted out of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee on September 22, 2011.

“This is a very important milestone for the autism community because it represents the recognition by legislators and the Department of Human Services (DHS) that credible and reliable information is crucial to decision-making by families over a lifespan,” said Autism New Jersey Executive Director Linda Meyer, Ed.D., MPA, BCBA-D, CPT. “We were pleased to work closely with the sponsors of this measure, and with legislative leadership, to see this bill advance to the Governor’s desk.”

The collection and dissemination of data required by S-2028/S-2878 will be instrumental to both policymakers and the caregivers of individuals with developmental disabilities. It will finally require that a comprehensive database be maintained regarding individuals who are eligible to receive services, the services they have specifically requested and assessments as to their needs. It will also require that eligible persons and their loved ones be informed annually, in writing, about several key aspects of their interaction with the Department. These aspects include services currently being received, status on any waiting list, the ways in which misinformation can be corrected and guidance as to how to access services they may be entitled to receive.

“Vital services for individuals with developmental disabilities are not one-size-fits-all, and every family must be treated with the dignity they deserve,” said Senator Gordon. “Just having a service available means nothing if the individual who would most benefit from it doesn’t know it. We simply cannot let individuals with developmental disabilities fall through the cracks with just a hope that our social safety net will catch them. Now, we will be more effectively able to bring families and essential services together.”
 
“New Jersey provides some absolutely wonderful support and quality of life improvement services for individuals with developmental disabilities,” said Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen).  “Unfortunately, we’re not that wonderful at informing residents about these programs.  This bill would change that.”

 “As a society, we should be judged on how we treat our most vulnerable residents, including those with developmental disabilities,” said Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula (D-Somerset/Middlesex).  “If we want to be judged well, and make improvements where we aren’t succeeding, we need to know exactly where we stand in caring for people with disabilities.”

“Reliable and current data about the service needs of persons with developmental disabilities who are eligible for services is fundamental to the division's ability to plan effectively to meet those needs,” said Assemblyman Ruben J. Ramos Jr. (D-Hudson). “Similarly, in order to make appropriate decisions about state funding for these services, it is important to understand the needs of persons with developmental disabilities served by the division.”

There are moms and dads, brothers and sisters all across our state who are worried today because of a lack of consistent, up-to-date information on eligibility for services and how to access them. S-2028/A-2878 will alleviate some of that worry and we’re pleased to see it one step closer to becoming law,” said Bob Titus, Autism New Jersey Public Policy Director.

State Comptroller follow-up to 2009 audit finds significant contract management improvements at state’s Division of Developmental Disabilities


Follow-up review documents millions in recoveries following recommendations from initial OSC audit

The state Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) has recouped wasted dollars, tightened its travel expenditure policy and strengthened its monitoring of contracts in response to a 2009 audit by the Office of the State Comptroller (OSC).

A follow-up review conducted by OSC, released today, found DDD officials have fully implemented seven of the nine recommendations contained in the initial OSC audit and have partially implemented the other two.

“We’re pleased that the Division of Developmental Disabilities has made significant progress in correcting the flaws we identified in our initial audit,” State Comptroller Matthew Boxer said. “These concrete changes already have saved significant taxpayer dollars and will continue to pay dividends for New Jersey in the future.”


 

 

Federal Hearing in Favor of Behavioral Treatment Inclusion as an Essential Health Benefit within the Affordable Care Act


Autism New Jersey Director of Public Policy Testimony:

In 1999, the Surgeon General reported, “Thirty years of research (have) demonstrated the efficacy of applied behavioral methods in reducing inappropriate behavior and in increasing communication, learning, and appropriate social behavior.” Consistent with this report, Autism New Jersey has long endorsed evidence-based treatment as essential to individuals with autism throughout the lifespan. Behavioral interventions that incorporate applied behavior analysis (ABA) treatment strategies are now widely accepted in New Jersey.

Autism New Jersey supports Autism Speaks and 20 other national organizations that form the Habilitation Benefits Coalition. The Coalition believes that rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices should be provided under private insurance to address functional deficits in patients regardless of the person’s condition or diagnosis.

Of the ten general categories of essential health benefits described in section 1302(b) of the ACA, two are most important for autism: “mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health treatment” (section 1302(b)(1)(E)); and “rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices” (section 1302(b)(1)(G)). 

Extensive research indicates that evidence-based strategies based upon the principles of applied behavior analysis are effective and should be considered essential within the provision of behavioral health treatment.

Click here to read the entire testimony.

 

Annual Update Letter:  DDD Priority Waiting List

The Department of Human Services’ Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) maintains the Community Care Waiver (CCW) Waiting List (formerly known as the Priority Wait List for Residential Services) and is making an effort to provide an annual update letter to individuals and their families regarding status.  This letter is an update to inform individuals and their families about their number on the Waiting List and pertains to the Priority category of individuals.  The first letter was sent in the fall of 2008.   In 2009, the list was reviewed by all of the regional offices and updated, so the next letter was sent in the fall of 2010.  The most recent letter was issued November, 2011.

The CCW is a Medicaid-funded program; therefore you will need to be determined eligible for Medicaid before services can begin. For more information about the Community Care Waiver, please visit DDD’s website at http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/ddd/services/ccw/

Currently there are 4,887 people in the Priority category.  A person’s number on the Waiting List will vary from year to year, as the list changes.  It is important to note that while many people are added annually, many people also are removed for a variety of reasons (including placement, relocation, discharge from services, etc.).  The letters are sent to everyone on the priority section of the list.  If an individual is on the priority section of the waiting list and did not receive a letter, they should contact their DDD case manager.

 

Comprehensive Medicaid Waiver

On Monday, September 12, 2011, the New Jersey Department of Human Services (DHS) released a document outlining its Comprehensive Medicaid Waiver Application, which has been submitted to the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The accompanying press release issued by the Department of Human Services can be accessed on the DHS website.

The Comprehensive Medicaid Waiver is posted online.

As stated by DHS, “…The document details the state’s plan to reform the entitlement program to preserve access and advance innovation in healthcare…”


THE COMPREHENSIVE MEDICAID WAIVER KEY POINTS (AS STATED BY DHS):

  • Protecting Enrollment of Parents in NJ FamilyCare
  • Advancing Innovation in Healthcare with Better Primary Care Options
  • Moving Away from Institutional Care to More Appropriate, Community-Based Services
  • Expanding Services to New Jerseyans with Developmental Disabilities and Mental Illnesses
  • Reinvesting in Services for Children with Complex Needs
  • Adding Services Previously Uncovered
  • Eliminating Co-Payments for Non-Emergency Use of Hospital Emergency Rooms
  • Creating Choice and Flexibility in Patient Health Care
  • Implementing an Administrative Services Organization (ASO)


Please take some time to review the Comprehensive Medicaid Waiver. Forward your feedback and input directly to DHS Commissioner Jennifer Velez via e-mail to:  Dhs_commissioner@dhs.state.nj.us ( mailto:Dhs_commissioner@dhs.state.nj.us ) 

  

Action Needed on the Autism Spectrum Disorders Services Act of 2011 (S.1132)!

ATTENTION, ADVOCATES
This is our next important legislative issue:

Autism Spectrum Disorders Services Act of 2011: S1132/H.R. 2007

Purpose: To establish programs to provide services to individuals with autism and the families of such individuals, and to increase public education and awareness of autism and for other purposes. 

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h112-2007

Sponsor in U.S. House of Representatives: Rep. Christopher Smith [R-NJ4]

Sponsor in U.S. Senate: Senator Robert Menendez [D-NJ]

Status: This bill is in the first step in the legislative process. Introduced bills and resolutions first go to committees that deliberate, investigate, and revise them before they go to general debate. Autism New Jersey has had extensive input into this legislation.

What you can do: Thank Congressman Smith and Senator Menendez on their websites:

http://chrissmith.house.gov/Contact/

http://menendez.senate.gov/contact/

Request Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee Chairs Tom Harkin (D-Ia) and Mike Enzi (R-Wy) to post S1132 to Committee agenda:

http://harkin.senate.gov/contact.cfm

http://enzi.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact?p=e-mail-senator-enzi

Request the House Subcommittee on Health to post H.R.2007 to Subcommittee agenda: New Jersey Congressmen Leonard Lance [NJ-7] and Frank Pallone Jr. [NJ-6] serve on this Subcommittee:

http://lance.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=3&sectiontree=3

http://www.house.gov/pallone/contact.shtml