News Archives 2011
New Jersey announces new Special Needs Housing Initiative
May 10, 2011
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. Keep reading>>
Autism New Jersey Hails Passage of Bill Requiring Improved Eligibility Reporting by DHS for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities
December 15, 2011
(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. Keep reading>>
Comprehensive Medicaid Waiver
September, 12, 2011
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.
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)