Bill Text: NJ S694 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes one-year pilot program for certain persons with disabilities; appropriates up to $85,000.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee [S694 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S694-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator ROBERT W. SINGER
District 30 (Monmouth and Ocean)
Senator SHIRLEY K. TURNER
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senator Diegnan
SYNOPSIS
Establishes one-year pilot program for certain persons with disabilities; appropriates up to $85,000.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act establishing a one-year pilot program for certain persons with disabilities and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. As used in this act:
"Direct support professional" means an individual who provides direct, non-medical supportive assistance, on a daily basis, to a person who has an intellectual or a developmental disability, with the aim of helping the person to: (1) become better integrated into the community or the least restrictive environment; (2) more effectively understand, communicate, and advocate for, the person's individual needs and desires; (3) identify and participate in positive employment, job coaching, and training opportunities; (4) make informed choices, and better understand the options and possible consequences of choices relating to physical health, safety, and emotional well-being; (5) address challenging behaviors through a person-centered approach; (6) successfully engage in the basic activities of daily living; (7) identify and participate in activities that promote a healthy lifestyle; and (8) otherwise lead a self-directed and autonomous life.
b. There is established a one-year pilot program for persons with disabilities in the Department of Human Services to address social and community inclusion needs for such individuals through recreational, social, vocational, and other community-based activities. The purpose of the pilot program shall be to:
(1) create a vocational program for individuals with disabilities;
(2) provide individuals with disabilities opportunities to learn recreational, social, and vocational skills;
(3) provide individuals with disabilities the ability to engage in recreational, social, and vocational activities in order to develop relationships within the community; and
(4) provide individuals with disabilities the opportunity to explore their interests and build confidence in their abilities.
c. The pilot program shall:
(1) select one or more direct support professionals, who possess training tailored to the specific needs of program participants, to assist these individuals with social, vocational, and recreational activities and skills;
(2) select at least three program participants who are currently receiving services funded by the Department of Human Services and who:
(a) are diagnosed with an intellectual or developmental disability and are between the ages 21 and 30;
(b) do not exhibit aggressive or self-injurious behavior;
(c) are not diagnosed with both a mental illness and an intellectual or a developmental disability; and
(d) express interest in achieving personal, recreational, social, and vocational development;
(3) provide program participants a minimum of six hours of weekly recreational, social, and vocational development activities that shall include, but shall not be limited to:
(a) educational-based courses that expand program participants' vocational skills;
(b) soft skill development in the form of workshops that teach communication, teamwork, problem solving, and ethics;
(c) pairing program participants with mentors who offer support and guidance to program participants throughout the pilot program;
(d) various recreational and social activities for program participants; and
(e) opportunities for program participants to volunteer in the community;
(4) collect data on a regular basis regarding program participants' development; and
(5) provide quarterly progress reports, and a final, year-end report to the parents or guardians of program participants, if the parent is the program participant's legal guardian or the program participant otherwise consents to release such information to the parent.
d. (1) The Commissioner of Human Services shall select an independent entity with expertise in evaluating vocational programs to evaluate the pilot program at the conclusion of the program. The evaluation shall assess the progress and satisfaction of the program participants and analyze the budget of the pilot program. The evaluation shall be submitted to the Governor and Legislature in conjunction with the report prepared by the Commissioner of Human Services as required pursuant to paragraph (2) of this subsection.
(2) No later than three months following the completion of the pilot program, the Commissioner of Human Services shall prepare and submit a report to the Governor, and, pursuant to section 2 of 2 P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature, which report shall contain information necessary to assess the success and budgetary needs of the pilot program. Any information included in the report concerning program participants shall be de-identified.
2. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Human Services such sums as may be necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act, but not to exceed $85,000, as shall be determined by the Commissioner of Human Services and subject to the approval of the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting in the Department of the Treasury.
3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire upon the submission of the Commissioner of Human Services's report as required pursuant to paragraph (2) of subsection d. of section 1 of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes a one-year pilot program for certain persons with disabilities in the Department of Human Services.
Under the bill, the purpose of the pilot program is to: (1) create a vocational program for individuals with disabilities; (2) provide individuals with disabilities opportunities to learn recreational, social, and vocational skills; (3) provide individuals with disabilities the ability to engage in recreational, social, and vocational activities in order to develop relationships within the community; and (4) provide individuals with disabilities the opportunity to explore their interests and build confidence in their abilities.
The bill provides that the pilot program is to: (1) select one or more direct support professionals, as this term is defined in the bill, who possess training tailored to the specific needs of program participants, to assist these individuals with social, vocational, and recreational activities and skills; (2) select at least three individuals who meet certain qualification criteria to participate in the program; (3) provide program participants a minimum of six hours of weekly recreational, social, and vocational development activities as provided for in the bill; (4) collect data on a regular basis regarding the development of the program participants; and (5) provide quarterly progress reports, as well as a final, year-end report to participants' parents or guardians, as appropriate.
Under the bill, no later than three months following the completion of the pilot program, the Commissioner of Human Services is to prepare and submit a report to the Governor and Legislature containing information necessary to assess the success and budgetary needs of the pilot program. Any information included in the report concerning program participants will be de-identified.
In order to effectuate the purposes of the pilot program, the bill appropriates up to, but not more than, $85,000, to be determined by the Commissioner of Human Services and subject to the approval of the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting in the Department of the Treasury.
