Florham Park–Jewish Family Service of MetroWest New Jersey is now designated as a State of New Jersey Division of Developmental Disabilities-approved Support Coordination Agency. Support Coordination is a complimentary case management service for individuals found eligible through the New Jersey Division of Developmental Disabilities. Jewish Family Service began offering Support Coordination services in October in Essex and Morris Counties and is now approved to offer services in Somerset, Sussex, and Union counties. Maggie McCourt is the program director.
Support Coordinators meet with individuals and conduct Person-Centered Planning. Specific resources and support needs are itemized in an Individualized Service Plan that the individual creates with the coordinator. Next, the coordinator assists in identifying providers and resources in the local community that could include day programs, medical services, family supports, transportation, employment services, and social and educational opportunities.
They also help to select service providers that are best suited to achieving the objectives outlined in the Individualized Service Plan. Support Coordinators assist in accessing and securing necessary funding through the Division of Developmental Disabilities. Individuals and their family members have regular contact with the Support Coordinator through monthly contacts, quarterly visits, and annual home meetings. This frequent contact ensures progression on goals and helps to redirect any components of the Individualized Service Plan as needed.
One mother of a special needs child described her experience this way: “When my daughter graduated, I did not know what to expect from the ‘adult world.’ We were extremely lucky that we had a Support Coordinator. She is truly dedicated to helping families. She constantly communicated information on funding and services, so I always knew I was making the best decision for my daughter.”
Support Coordination promotes individual choice and community inclusiveness. For more information on Support Coordination, please email [email protected] or call 973-637-1762. For more information about Jewish Family Service, please call 973-765-9050 or visit www.jfsmetrowest.org.
By Kimberly Colchamiro
