Planned Lifetime Assistance Network of New Jersey(PLAN|NJ) has created a new website to better assist with planning for the future of an individualwith disabilities at www.plannj.org. Whether you are a person with a disability, a family member or friend, an attorney, financial advisor or human services professional, check out the website for life planning tools and resources to help achieve greater peace of mind.

 1-25-2021  Announcement from DDD:

 The following is a helpful resource for our individuals/families to use.  www.NJHelps.org is a website that offers straightforward, plain language resource information. What I think is awesome is that it has a screening tool—a 9-step questionnaire—that, depending on the info you plug in, will suggest different programs you may be eligible for:

See the newly announced groups/ descriptions of who can start making vaccination appointments.
More groups will become eligible in the coming weeks.  See link below

Pursuant to the CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Program Provider Agreement, all providers must vaccinate individuals regardless of whether they have health insurance coverage or what type of coverage they have, and are prohibited from balance billing or otherwise charging vaccine recipients.

“As we continue to roll out our robust statewide vaccination program, we want to make it clear to New Jerseyans that no one will have to pay for the vaccine itself, regardless of whether or not they have health insurance coverage,” said Governor Murphy. “We strongly encourage everyone to join hundreds of thousands of their fellow New Jerseyans in preregistering to receive the vaccine and taking another step toward ending this pandemic.”

(TRENTON) –  New Jerseyans who receive food assistance through the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (NJ SNAP) will receive at least a 15 percent increase in benefits in January to help address food needs related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 

A 15 percent increase in SNAP benefits was included in the recently signed federal relief legislation and will be in effect through June.

FROM DHS:

Below is a helpful link to mental health services available throughout the state.  

https://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/dmhas/home/hotlines/MH_Dir_COMPLETE.pdf

Beginning in mid-December and continuing into early 2021, vaccine access will be given to New Jersey’s Phase 1A Group: health care workers, who are paid and unpaid persons serving in healthcare settings who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials.  Phase 1A also includes long-term care residents and staff.

The Phase 1A definition of health care workers includes Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) in the State’s Developmental Centers and IDD group homes, day programs, and Self-Directed Employees in private homes.