Alliance for Full Participation

The New Jersey team is in now forming and recently held several meetings. The state team is working closely with its Medicaid Infrastructure Grant and APSE chapter to craft its goals and objectives and several of these are shared by the other two entities.

Goals for consideration:

• Create an Employment First Policy in NJ in an effort to increase community integrated employment services for people with disabilities versus facility based services
• Allocate greater funding and placement incentives to agencies that provide employment services in integrated community work settings
• Expand professional development and training opportunities for Direct Support Professionals (e.g., job coaches, job developers, and employment specialists) working in supported employment
• Develop an annual outcome measurement reporting system that will consist of minimal thresholds, benchmarks, and overall grading system of supported employment providers
• Create stronger linkages and collaboration between the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services and NJ school districts and between NJ One-Stop Career Centers and the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services
• Simplify systems, information, and resources for people with disabilities seeking employment services
• Develop a statewide public awareness campaign that addresses the benefits of workplace diversity, including the social and economic benefits of employing people with disabilities
• Increase and improve information dissemination and program marketing of employment services for people with disabilities
• Expand state wide accessible public transportation services in suburban and rural areas, and
• Increase self-employment and entrepreneurial awareness options for people with disabilities by collaborating and creating formal partnerships with specialized agencies and organizations including the Small Business Administration, the Small Business Development Centers, and SCORE, "Counselors to America's Small Business".