NJCDD 5-Year Planning 2022-2026
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The New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities voted to approve and publish its proposed 5-Year State Plan for 2022-26 during its February 11 public meeting. Pursuant to the DD Act, the NJCDD is required to make the 5-Year State plan available for public review and comment. The deadline for submission of comments is April 2.
Comments can be emailed to njcdd@njcdd.org, or sent via USPS to:
5 Year Plan Comments
NJCDD, 20 West State St.,
6th Floor, Trenton NJ, 08625-0700
Review the Proposed Plan Here
Review the Background & Process Info Here
Goals and Objectives (2022-2026)
Review the Proposed Plan Here.pdf
Goal 1: (Advocacy)
All New Jersey residents with I/DD and their family members, throughout the lifespan, will have increased access to information in order to learn and strengthen the advocacy and leadership skills they need to be self-directed from an early age, manage supports and services and engage as active citizens with agency over their own lives.
Objectives:
1. For each year through 2026, NJCDD will increase civic engagement and self-direction on the part of individuals with I/DD by providing support and technical assistance to a statewide self-advocacy organization, providing leadership training opportunities, promoting emerging leaders with I/DD as trainers and speakers, and supporting and expanding participation of individuals with I/DD in culturally-diverse, cross-disability leadership coalitions.
2. For each year through 2026, NJCDD, in collaboration with DD Act partners, and with an emphasis on serving historically-underserved populations, including individuals who are Black, Hispanic, Asian, and limited-English proficient, will provide leadership training and mentoring to at least 20 individuals with I/DD and their families, and will support projects to develop advanced leadership skills and networking opportunities for at least 2 individuals with I/DD and their families through mentorships, internships, and apprenticeships in careers related to public policy and disability advocacy.
3. (Targeted Disparity #1) By 2026, Black New Jersey residents with I/DD and their families will have increased access to information about NJCDD, the DD Network, and how to access the full range of supports and services available through New Jersey’s system of services and supports.
4. (Technology) By 2026, NJCDD will support projects to decrease barriers in access to technology and internet access/connectivity for individuals with I/DD and their families.
GOAL 2: (Systems Change)
All New Jersey citizens with I/DD, their families, and stakeholders will have increased ability to improve the design and delivery of the services, both specialized and generic, intended to support and benefit them.
Objectives:
1. Through 2026, NJCDD will facilitate government and community partnerships, and improve interagency coordination through collaborations and coalitions in order to reduce barriers to service access and delivery, with an emphasis on reducing inequities experienced by historically-underserved populations, including individuals who are Black, Hispanic, Asian, and limited-English proficient.
2. By 2026, NJCDD, in collaboration with community partners, will develop and implement a comprehensive public awareness and outreach campaign to highlight and promote the skills, abilities, and needs of people with I/DD, and educate communities on ways in which generic community services can be made more appropriate, accessible, and responsive to the needs of people with I/DD and their families.
3. (Formal and Informal Community Supports) By 2026, NJCDD, in collaboration with family members, advocates, and those providing natural supports, will work to remove barriers and redesign systems in order to improve, simplify, and expand the system of formal and informal supports for caregivers of children and adults with I/DD.
4. (Healthcare) By 2026, in collaboration with families and community agencies, NJCDD will provide information and support projects designed to improve the capability of New Jersey’s behavioral health care system to meet and respond to the mental health and dual diagnosis needs of individuals with I/DD and their families, including those in urban and rural areas of the state.
5. Throughout the grant period, NJCDD will monitor and respond to emerging issues and trends affecting individuals with I/DD and their families through collaboration, information, technical assistance, outreach, special projects, and advocacy.
GOAL 3: (Capacity-Building)
All New Jersey residents with I/DD and their families will have increased information and support they need to access the services and supports they need to live, work, and learn in the community with independence.
Objectives:
1. Beginning in 2022, NJCDD will support projects and engage in outreach designed to ensure increased levels of diversity, equity, and cultural competency in all aspects of the work carried out by the Council and its staff.
2. (Targeted Disparity #2) (Quality Assurance) By 2026, and in collaboration with educators and stakeholders, NJCDD will support projects using best practices designed to eliminate the inappropriate use of seclusion, restraint, suspension and expulsion for Black and Hispanic students with disabilities, in targeted areas (schools and districts with high rates of seclusion, restraint, suspension, expulsion, and/or high rates of referral to law enforcement).
3. (Education) By 2026, NJCDD will provide information and technical assistance designed to empower students, families, and stakeholders in identifying and delivering transition services that align with WorkFirst NJ, and that can lead to supported competitive employment, post-secondary education, and/or independent living options, with an emphasis on supporting those in urban and rural schools.
4. (Housing) By 2026, NJCDD will support projects to expand the capacity of New Jersey’s system of housing and supports to serve those with complex medical and behavioral needs, including those who are aging, in the community.
5. (Healthcare) By 2026, in collaboration with community agencies, NJCDD will support projects designed to increase the capacity of New Jersey’s behavioral health care system to meet and respond to the mental health and dual diagnosis
needs of individuals with I/DD and their families, including those in urban and rural areas of the state.
6. (Employment) By 2026, NJCDD will support innovative projects based on best practices to increase the number of individuals with I/DD, including those with behavior challenges, medical disabilities, and mental health issues, who are engaged in supported competitive employment.
Review the Background & Process Info Here.pdf
About State Councils on Developmental Disabilities…
State Councils on Developmental Disabilities (Councils) are federally-funded, self-governing organizations charged with:
• identifying the most pressing needs of people with developmental disabilities in their state, and
• advancing public policy and systems change that help these individuals gain more control over their lives.
Councils do this by conducting advocacy, systems change, and capacity-building efforts that promote self-determination, integration, and inclusion.
Councils do not provide direct services, but sometimes they fund special projects and demonstrate efforts that do. Key Council activities include conducting outreach, providing training and technical assistance, removing barriers, developing coalitions, encouraging citizen participation, and keeping policymakers informed about disability issues.
Council members are appointed by the governor – more than 60 percent of a Council’s membership consists of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) or their family members. Advocates and state agency representatives also serve as members. This diversity enables Councils to better analyze and improve systems and services within a state and ensure that the voices of people with developmental disabilities and their families are heard.
What is a developmental disability?
Developmental disability is lifelong. It is a severe, chronic disability that occurs before an individual is 22 that is likely to continue indefinitely and results in substantial functional limitations in three or more of the following areas: self-care, receptive and
expressive language, learning, mobility, self-direction, capacity for independent living, and economic self-sufficiency. Diagnosed medical conditions may include autism, Down syndrome, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, epilepsy, mental health issues, and others.
Here in New Jersey…
The mission of the New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities (NJCDD) is to assure that individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families participate in the design of, and have access to, needed community services, individualized supports, and other forms of assistance that promote self-determination, independence, productivity, integration, and inclusion in all facets of life through culturally-competent programs.
Our vision is that all individuals with I/DD are participating, equally-included members of their communities who:
• make real choices and have control over their own lives.
• have the freedom to strive, excel, and make mistakes.
• are in a position to achieve personal goals and affect policy and process decisions that affect their lives.
• have the same rights, privileges, responsibilities, and opportunities of citizenship as any other New Jersey resident.
The 5-Year Plan…
The work of the NJCDD is driven by a five-year strategic plan. The plan offers a framework for volunteer Council members and paid Council staff as they determine and carry out projects, initiatives, and activities to support New Jersey residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.
In accordance with the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000, the NJCDD develops and implements goals and objectives every five years. The 5-Year Plan addresses identified unmet needs through systems change and capacity-building efforts that promote self-determination, integration, and inclusion for people with developmental disabilities. The plan includes goals and objectives that will guide and focus the Council’s work over the five-year period. The work in the proposed plan is aligned around NJCDD’s motto: Advocate. Collaborate. Educate.
How are the goals determined?
In developing this plan, the NJCDD gathered and considered a great deal of information.
We conducted a Comprehensive Review and Analysis that includes data related to several key areas: state demographics, housing, employment, transportation, formal and informal supports, education, early intervention, childcare, interagency coordination, recreation, quality assurance, and health care. We also reviewed reports, white papers, and other planning documents issued by our DD Network partners, the Office of the Ombudsman for Individuals with I/DD and Their Families, and others.
As part of that analysis, and to help guide us in identifying unmet needs and setting priorities, we sought input from the public. We would like to thank more than 1,000 NJ residents who responded to our survey, which was offered in four languages; scores of individuals and agencies who provided written comments; 233 guests who registered for our five public hearings, one of which was conducted in Spanish; Spanish-speaking advocates who took part in two focus groups; and more than 40 stakeholders who shared their expertise and perspectives on race, diversity, and equity through an Ad-hoc Committee on Equal Access to DD Services. We also thank stakeholders who sent written and oral testimony; Council members who took part in more than 12 hours of topic-focused work group discussion; and NJCDD’s Planning Committee, who spent countless hours guiding the process. In this five-year planning cycle, there is a special focus on efforts designed to address the needs of an increasingly diverse New Jersey. This plan focuses on disparities faced by individuals with I/DD and their families who are Black and those who speak Spanish, two groups identified in our research as particularly underserved, and/or who experience disparity in service access or outcomes. NJCDD also heard from advocates in rural and urban areas about unmet needs, and has planned activities for system change in those communities.
Public Input
The NJCDD gathered public input from people with ID/DD and their families.
Outreach and Engagement Strategies
Online Survey
NJCDD administered a survey in four languages. More than 1,000 people responded.
Public Hearing & Comment
NJCDD hosted five public hearings including one in Spanish. More than 260 individuals registered for these virtual events.
Focused Groups
NJCDD facilitated input from diverse communities through focus groups and an ad hoc committee on equal access to DD services.
The public input highlighted areas of need:
Employment – Housing – Health – Transportation – Advocacy & Leadership – Quality Assurance – Language Access and Cultural Competency
Using Public Input and Data
The NJCDD used the public input along with state and federal data to identify barriers and unmet needs of individuals with ID/DD and their families. The information was used to determine the State Plan goals and objectives.
Public Input
Research
NJ State Data & Public Reports
Research
Federal Data
Determine Areas of Need
2022-2027 State Plan
Goals & Objectives
