Message from Our President:
Benni Versaci
As the expression goes “it takes a village to raise a child”. And any parent or guardian knows, your child is your child, no matter how old they are. When we are assigned a new individual to Support Coordination, we understand the responsibility you have given us and we take it very seriously. This is why, you do not only get one person when a support coordinator is assigned to you. You get Spectrum CMC. Our team of Support Coordinators, Quality assurance staff, and Support Coordination Supervisors puts each individual we serve at the center of the planning process. We partner with families and the rapport we have built with providers helps determine which services are right for you or your loved one. Status quo is comfortable but growing and learning new skills is even better. We approach each individual we serve as a team so we bounce ideas off of each other to think “outside of the box”. The outcome is true person centered services that result in individual growth and happiness. We have so many amazing stories to share with you. In the months to come, our support coordinators will be reaching out to you to request that you share your stories in our monthly newsletter so that they may inspire others. And with your consent, we look forward to sharing some of your journey.
We truly love what we do. We do not take any changes lightly, but at times there may be a change in Support Coordinator due to a promotion, someone following a different career path or changes at the DDD which impact our staffing. If a change is necessary our team approach helps to make these transitions smoothly. As always our team members are here to help guide you, find resources that will make a positive impact in the lives of those we serve, talk and most of all listen.
We send out surveys regularly because we want to make sure we know what you need and we will make changes as your needs dictate. Our next survey will be sent out in November. Please take a moment to complete it.
Enjoy the resources we have in this month’s newsletter. If you have any questions about them, reach out to your support coordinator to further explore them.
Here are just a few resources we think you may find helpful as you continue your journey to assist your family member
Individuals who are Medicaid Eligible are not to exceed $2,000 in their accounts at any given period or may risk the loss of Medicaid and Med icaid services. ABLE accounts are tax-advantaged savings accounts for individuals with disabilities and their families.

The Family Support Coalition of New Jersey is an advocacy network made up of families who care for a family member with an intellectual/developmental disability (I/DD) and provider agencies throughout the state. The Family Support Coalition supports the power of families and individuals with I/DD to shape policies that impact their lives. 
There is a wealth of helpful information available for people with developmental disabilities who want to learn more about voting and their rights as American citizens. From finding out how and where to vote, to making sure we’re registered, to letting others know when our voting locations are inaccessible or presenting other barriers to voting, there are organizations and individuals who can help out at every step of the process.


Upcoming Conferences:

The NJACP 35th Annual Statewide Conference: "Embracing Change"

This conference will be held on November 15th and 16th in Atlantic City, NJ.

ASPEN’s Annual Fall Conference: Beyond the Autism Spectrum Diagnosis: Effective Strategies for Family, School and Life.

This conference will be held on November 4th in Iselin, NJ.
Featured Services: Tutoring/Music Lessons
Andrew has been receiving tutoring through Omnismarts Tutoring who specialize in tutoring services with adults with disabilities. Andrew had a passion for music and was determined to learn how to play on the guitar. After learning the guitar, he expressed interest in learning how to play the piano. He enjoys playing for his family, friends and will frequently have his family send videos of his new learned songs to his Support Coordinator! We as an agency are so proud of Andrew and his continuous growth as a musician!
Support Coordinator of the Month:
Rahminique Hill
Rahminique is a graduate of Rutgers University and has a passion for helping others. She has over 10 years of experience in this field. Rahminique is the oldest of 9 children and she is very close with her family. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her family and helping out at local homeless shelters.