June 21, 2023 | Issue 84 (View newsletter as webpage) Para leer este boletín en Español, haga clic aquí

Important News

Report Finds NJ Residents with Disabilities 'in crisis'

The state’s disability ombudsman released his annual report on May 30 that highlighted more losses than wins in the way New Jersey cares for people with disabilities.

The report is chock-full of examples of the toll it says an inflexible system plagued with ineffective policies can have on people's lives.

The report focused on four areas where the state keeps getting it wrong:

A workforce shortage among the people who care for some of the state’s most medically fragile residents.
The abuse and neglect these residents suffer in their homes as a result of that shortage.
The need for better care for people on the autism spectrum.
The state’s shortcomings in caring for people with complex medical needs.

“This is due, in part, to policies and practices that continue to make it difficult, if not impossible, for their families to gain access to the right mix of assessments, treatments, supports, and services,” the report states.

To read an article on the report, click here.

To access the report directly, click here.

Resources

Call to Action to Stop Eligible Children and Families From Losing Medicaid/NJ Family Care!

During the pandemic, states were not allowed to terminate people from the Medicaid rolls. Thus, many families have never had to go through an eligibility redetermination. But now that the requirement for Medicaid redeterminations is back in place, states are beginning to cut children and families off of Medicaid - and usually it's not because they are no longer eligible, it's because they are not responding to communication from the state Medicaid agency and providing the documents needed to show that they still meet the eligibility requirements.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is working hard to make sure that all eligible children, families and individuals maintain their Medicaid or State Children's Health Insurance Program coverage (NJ FamilyCare in NJ). Please respond to any communication from NJ Medicaid if you or your child are covered by Medicaid promptly, and please share this information with your friends and family, or other families who might benefit from this information!

For more information, click here and here.

New Jersey Partners in Policymaking

Made available through collaboration between the New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities, The Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities, and Disability Rights New Jersey, New Jersey Partners in Policymaking prepares adults with developmental disabilities and family members of young children and transition age youth to work toward meaningful change in our state.

Apply by June 30, 2023 to be considered for the class of 2023-2024: Click Here

Check out this video to learn more about New Jersey Partners in Policymaking and hear from graduates about their experiences in the 8-month leadership development and advocacy education program: Click Here.

Upcoming Events

SPAN offers a variety of learning opportunities for families and the professionals who work with them.

Highlighted Event This Week

Engaging Families in Early Identification of Developmental Concerns in Young Children flyer

Engaging Families in the Early Identification of Developmental Concerns in Young Children

June 29^th and July 6^th

from 11:00AM - 12:00PM EDT

Presenters:

Caroline Coffield, PhD

Assistant professor of Pediatrics, Rutgers

Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Director of Preservice Training, The Boggs Center

Training Director, NJLEND

Deepa Srinivasavaradan, IMH-E

CDC's Act Early Ambassador

Director of Early Childhood Initiatives,

SPAN Parent Advocacy Network

This consecutive two-part webinar series offers insights for parents and family support professionals to identify signs of developmental delay, foster connections between children and families to appropriate supports, and strengthen engagement in routine developmental monitoring.

Resources will be shared from the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC’s) “Learn the Signs. Act Early” program and other NJ-specific developmental health promotion resources including topics such as developmental evaluation, Early Intervention, additional services and supports, and building family resilience.

To register for Part 1 on June 29th, Click Here.

To register for Part 2 on July 6th, Click Here.

See all of SPAN's upcoming events with details and registration links here

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The Youth Development Initiative (YDI) Featuring Resources on Motivation

Read our latest youth blog post, "The Youth Development Initiative (YDI) Featuring Resources on Motivation," to learn about an opportunity for youth (ages 12-17) to gain an understanding of healthcare transition and advocacy.

Click Here