Services

Residential Services

Access is given by the Division to individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities to receive support in accessing a variety of housing options.

• Group Home – living arrangements operated in residences leased or owned by the provider which provide the opportunity for individuals with developmental disabilities to live together in a home, sharing in chores and the overall management of the residence. Staff in a group home provide supervision, training, and/or assistance in a variety of forms and intensity as required to assist the individuals as they move toward independence.
• Individual/Family Owned, Rented, Leased – a setting the individual or his/her family directly owns, rents, or leases.
• Supervised Apartment – apartments leased or owned by the provider, which are occupied by individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities. Staff provide supervision, guidance, and training as needed in activities of daily living as defined by the individual’s needs and targeted future goals.
• Housing Voucher – through the Supportive Housing Connection (SHC), the Division has partnered with the New Jersey Housing Mortgage Finance Association (NJHMFA) to provide housing subsidies to eligible individuals through the Supportive Housing Connection (SHC).

Day Habilitation

Services are provided during daytime hours in a center-based or community-based setting and do not include employment-related training. This service provides education and training to acquire the skills and experience needed to participate in the community. This may include activities to support participants with building problem-solving skills, self-help and social skills.

Activities are based on the individual’s likes, dislikes, areas of interest, desires, dreams, etc. The following list is not exhaustive but is simply an expression of the various types of activities that can occur and assist individuals to explore and exercise choice.

Examples of Activities *Please note that examples are not all inclusive of everything that can be funded through program. Shopping/budgeting, cooking, money management, and relationship management· Restaurants – ordering from menus, paying the bill, sports/fitness events and activities · Library, book clubs, museums, travel and community safety, use of public transportation, theater, community concerts, holiday celebrations, walking and park visits.

Community Based Services

This service makes it possible for people with developmental disabilities to remain safely in their homes and community, while receiving a variety of health and human support services that include:

• Assistance with daily activities such as getting dressed, eating, personal hygiene, etc.
• Increasing Community Participation such as daily errands, attending events, restaurants, purchasing items, travel trainings, etc.
• Increasing Independence such as helping the individual learn to do laundry, cook, clean, dress, grocery shop, pay for items, etc.
• Assistance with On-The-Job Support such as safety awareness, using the restroom, attending to tasks, lunch/breaks, etc.
• Assistance with Learning Activities such as basic tutoring – math, reading, writing; support in attending a class; etc.

Assistive Technology

Assistive technology promotes greater independence by enabling people to perform tasks they were formerly unable to accomplish, or had great difficulty accomplishing, by providing enhancements to, or changing methods of interacting with, the technology needed to accomplish such tasks. For example, wheelchairs provide independent mobility for those who cannot walk, while assistive eating devices can enable people who cannot feed themselves to do so. Due to assistive technology, people with disability have access to a positive and easygoing lifestyle, with an increase in “social participation,” “security and control,” and a greater chance to “reduce institutional costs without significantly increasing household expenses.”

Behavioral Support

Behavioral Support offers effective strategies that address problem behaviors exhibited by persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Positive Behavior Support (PBS) is a problem-solving, evidence-based approach that focuses on reducing the frequency of challenging behaviors and improving the quality of life for individuals.

Career Services

Employment services are offered by the Department of Labor’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (DVRS). If DVRS services are not available or an individual is not eligible, the Division provides Supported Employment, Career Planning, and Prevocational Training services. These Division services include assistance with things like developing job skills, writing a resume, completing job applications, interviewing, getting to work, and having support staff available during the workday.

Respite Services

Respite services are provided to participants who are unable to care for themselves and are furnished on a short-term basis because of the absence or need for relief of those persons who normally provide care for the participant. Respite may be provided in the participant’s home, a DHS licensed group home, or another community-based setting approved by DHS. Some settings, such as a hotel, may be approved by the State for use when options using other settings have been exhausted.

Environmental Modification

This service allows physical changes to be made to the private residence of the individual or to the individual’s family. Modifications are usually made to ensure the health, welfare and safety of the individual or to enable them to function with greater independence in the home. Such adaptations include the installation of ramps and grab-bars, widening of doorways, modification of bathroom facilities, or the installation of specialized electric and plumbing systems that are necessary to accommodate the medical equipment and supplies that are necessary for the welfare of the individual.

Examples of Environmental Modifications *Please note that examples are not all inclusive of everything that can be funded through this service.

Ramps · Grab-bars · Widening of doorways · Modifications of bathrooms · Emergency generator for equipment · Air filters/humidifiers · Stair lifts · Ceiling track systems for transfers.

Transportation

Service offered to enable participants to gain access to services, activities and resources, as specified by the Service Plan. Transportation services include Lyft and Uber services to those who are qualified. This service is offered in addition to medical transportation.

Speech Therapy

Speech therapy services help people with developmental and intellectual disabilities who have difficulty producing speech sounds, can’t articulate specific sounds, stutter, or have a voice disorder. Language disorders are characterized by difficulty communicating meaning and/or understanding thoughts, ideas, and emotions.

Supported Employment

This service provides activities needed to help a participant obtain and maintain an individual job in competitive or customized employment, or self-employment, in an integrated work setting in the general workforce for which an individual is compensated at or above the minimum wage, but not less than the customary wage and level of benefits paid by the employer for the same or similar work performed by individuals without disabilities.

Community Inclusion

Services are provided outside of a participant’s home that support and assist them in educational, enrichment or recreational activities as outlined in his/her Service Plan. These services are intended to help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to fully engage and be present within the community. Community Inclusion Services are delivered in a group setting and does not exceed six (6) individuals.