Bill Text: NJ A3431 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires DHS to conduct follow-up study of former residents of North Princeton Developmental Center.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-11-19 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Human Services Committee [A3431 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-A3431-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman VALERIE VAINIERI HUTTLE
District 37 (Bergen)
Assemblywoman SHAVONDA E. SUMTER
District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Requires DHS to conduct follow-up study of former residents of North Princeton Developmental Center.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning persons with developmental disabilities.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Commissioner of Human Services shall conduct or contract with another entity to conduct a follow-up study to assess the well-being of all former residents of the North Princeton Developmental Center. The study shall evaluate the former residents based on data collected commencing on the first day of the seventh month following the date of enactment of this act.
a. Data for the study shall be collected from all former residents, their family members or guardians, as appropriate, and staff providing supports and services to the former residents, as applicable; except that data collected from staff shall be limited to objective and quantitative data.
b. The study shall contrast the data collected on the former residents with a comparison group of persons with developmental disabilities still residing in a developmental center, as applicable.
c. The study shall assess the well-being of former residents by examining, at a minimum, data concerning:
(1) the types of residential settings and day activities, if any, of former residents;
(2) the number of moves to different placements, if any, experienced by former residents;
(3) for former residents who are residing in the community, their preference for residing in a developmental center or the community based on a comparison of the former residents' experiences in North Princeton Developmental Center and the community;
(4) the ability of former residents to obtain necessary services and supports;
(5) former residents' involvement with law enforcement, if any;
(6) mortality rates of former residents;
(7) former residents' competency in the areas of cognition, self-care, and mobility;
(8) former residents' contact with family members or guardians, as appropriate, and peers;
(9) behavioral changes in former residents;
(10) utilization of health services by former residents; and
(11) the attitude of former residents and their family members or guardians, as appropriate, about the former residents' current quality of life, including, but not limited to, economic well-being, productivity, and personal safety and health.
d. In the case of former residents receiving guardianship services, the study shall indicate whether they are receiving these services from the Bureau of Guardianship Services in the Division of Developmental Disabilities in the Department of Human Services or from family members or other interested persons appointed as guardians.
2. The results of the follow-up study shall be compiled in a report which shall be submitted electronically to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1). The report also shall be made available on the website of the Department of Human Services.
3. This act shall take effect on the first day of the seventh month next following the date of enactment and shall expire upon the submission of the report. The Commissioner of Human Services may take such anticipatory administrative action in advance thereof as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Commissioner of Human Services to conduct or contract with another entity to conduct a follow-up study on the well-being of all former residents of the North Princeton Developmental Center (NPDC) based on data collected commencing on the first day of the seventh month following the enactment of the bill.
Follow-up studies of former residents of NPDC were previously funded by the Department of Human Services (DHS) and conducted by the Developmental Disabilities Planning Institute at the New Jersey Institute for Technology at three, nine, 15 and 27 months after residents left NPDC, which closed in 1998.
Under the provisions of this bill, data would be collected from all former residents, their family members or guardians, as appropriate, and staff providing supports and services to the former residents, as applicable; except that data collected from staff would be limited to objective and quantitative data.
The study would contrast the data collected on the former residents with a comparison group of persons with developmental disabilities still residing in a developmental center, as applicable.
Specifically, the study would assess the well-being of former residents by examining, at a minimum, data concerning:
· the types of residential settings and day activities, if any, of former residents;
· the number of moves to different placements, if any, experienced by former residents;
· for former residents who are residing in the community, their preference for residing in a developmental center or the community based on a comparison of the former residents' experiences in NPDC and the community;
· former residents' ability to obtain necessary services and supports;
· former residents' involvement with law enforcement, if any;
· mortality rates of former residents;
· former residents' competency in the areas of cognition, self-care, and mobility;
· former residents' contact with family members or guardians, as appropriate, and peers;
· behavioral changes in former residents;
· utilization of health services by former residents; and
· the attitude of former residents and their family members or guardians, as appropriate, about the former residents' current quality of life, including, but not limited to, economic well-being, productivity, and personal safety and health.
In the case of former residents receiving guardianship services, the study would indicate whether they are receiving these services from the Bureau of Guardianship Services in the Division of Developmental Disabilities in DHS or from family members or other interested persons appointed as guardians.
The results of the follow-up study would be compiled in a report and submitted electronically to the Governor and the Legislature. The report also would be made available on the DHS website.
The bill has a delayed effective date of the first day of the seventh month following its enactment and expires upon the submission of the report. The bill also allows the Commissioner of Human Services to take administrative action in advance of the effective date.
