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What is SEPAG?
Special Education Parent Advisory Group (SEPAG) is a parent-led advocacy group focused on policies, programs, and practices within the Saddle Brook School District. Families and caregivers of student(s) with learning needs or students eligible for or receiving services under an IEP or 504 plan are encouraged to attend SEPAG Meetings.
SEPAG provides parents with tools and information to work collaboratively with the school district and to be more effective advocates for their children with special educational needs. Our meetings consist of featured conversations/ presentations as well as support, resource sharing, and the ability to connect with other members of the special education community. Meetings with featured topics are our attempt to get those with similar concerns in the same room at the same time, but all are always welcome! SEPAG will be meeting via Zoom on the third Tuesday of every month.
Next meeting: TBA
Parenting and Family Guide JUNE 2023 EDITION
Download flyer for support groups here The BCSS CAPE Resource Center is open and I am available to speak with you.
linwie@bergen.org or 201 343-6000 x4067
Be well and be safe!With warm wishes,LindaVisit our website
Is your child's placement appropriate?Students with disabilities need flexible, effective, high-quality special education services, smaller classes, and emotional support services. If your child's current program is not meeting their needs, talk to your Child Study Team case manager about your concerns. It might be time to consider a change in placement.Our Outreach Coordinator, Joanne DeSimone, can help. She can offer information, referral, guidance, and support. As a former special education teacher and the parent of two sons with disabilities, she knows the ropes and can guide parents through common special education advocacy issues and help IEP teams find the right placement.Help is a phone call away: 973-407-0596The Alliance of Private Special Education Schools | 973-407-0596170 Changebridge Rd. C5-3, Montville New Jersey 07045Sensory-Friendly
Vaccine Clinic
Through funding provided by the Provident Bank Foundation, Bergen’s Promise has partnered with Holy Name Medical Center to create a safe and sensory-friendly COVID-19 vaccination space to meet the needs of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Northern New Jersey. Flu vaccine is also available upon request.
This resource is available to individuals ages 5 and up, regardless of enrollment in Bergen’s Promise.
The clinic will be held on Thursdays from 3:00 to 7:00 pm at 3 University Plaza Drive, Suite 105, Hackensack, NJ.
Appointments are required! Appointments will be scheduled within a dedicated time on the clinic’s calendar to avoid crowding and allow for longer appointments.
To register, visit www.holyname.org/IDDClinic and fill out the pre-visit questionnaire prior to the appointment.
Attached is a promotional flyer and images of the clinic space for your review.
Please share this information with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities that you serve who need COVID-19 or flu vaccines/boosters.
Reach out to Amy Faus, Health Promotion Manager at Bergen’s Promise with questions as needed!
Expanded Eligibility for NJ FamilyCare Coverage
Beginning January 1, 2023, all income-eligible children under the age of 19 – regardless of immigration status – are eligible to enroll in NJ FamilyCare health insurance program.
NJ FamilyCare is a publicly funded health insurance program that includes Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). It is managed by the NJ Department of Human Services. Undocumented children are eligible if the family earns no more than 355% of the federal poverty level, which equates to $8,210 a month for a family of four.
This expanded eligibility is expected to apply to 16,000 children in NJ. It will allow children to:
- get health care insurance for the first time, and
- see a pediatrician or
- visit an emergency room without their families wondering how to pay the bill.
Listen to a short NPR podcast here
Learn more and apply here
or call
1-800-701-0710 (TTY: 711)
Individuals ineligible for NJ FamilyCare can find information on other insurance affordability programs at www.getcovered.nj.gov
Preparing for the Age of Majority:
Supported Decision-Making and Other Support Options
A collaborative effort between the following agencies:
New Jersey Department of Education,
Office of Special Education
609-376-9084
New Jersey Department of Human Services,
Bureau of Guardianship Services
609-631-2213
state.nj.us/humanservices/ddd/services/guardianship
New Jersey Department of Children & Families,
Office of Education and the Children’s System of Care (CSOC)
1-877-652-7624
nj.gov/dcf/about/divisions/oe nj.gov/dcf/about/divisions/dcsc
In New Jersey, a child becomes an adult at the age of 18, and all parental rights transfer to the child upon reaching this age of majority.
If you expect your child with disabilities will need help to manage the responsibility of making important adult decisions, do you know about the support options?
Will Your Child Be Ready?
Not every young adult with a disability requires a legal guardian when they turn 18, since many are capable of making informed decisions on their own.
When your child with a disability turns 18 and needs support to handle the responsibility of making important adult decisions, there are several support options to consider. From supported decision making, which preserves the most autonomy for your child, to a power of attorney and the use of an appointed guardian, families should consider which options are the most appropriate to meet their child’s unique needs.
Transition Planning: Start The Discussion Early
At least three years before a child turns 18, the child’s IEP must include a statement that the child and the parents or guardians have been informed of the transfer of educational rights from the parents or guardians to the child/young adult upon reaching the age of majority. The purpose of providing this information is to protect the child’s rights, and will allow the child and parents or guardians time to consider additional support options depending on the unique needs of the child. The support options are based on the child’s ability to make informed decisions. The least restrictive option being Supported Decision–Making.
Support Decision-Making
- Maintains the young adult’s decision-making ability with the assistance of an individual or individuals appointed by the young adult.
- Family members, friends, or professionals may be appointed to serve as their support in making decisions.
- Studies have shown that people with disabilities who exercise greater self-determination have a better quality of life, display more independence, are more likely to be employed, and are more likely to be involved in the community.
Supported Decision-Making can help people with disabilities to:
- Understand information, issues, and choices;
- Focus attention in decision-making;
- Weigh options;
- Ensure that decisions are based on their own preferences; and
- Interpret and/or communicate decisions to other parties.
Other Support Options
Power of Attorney
- Allows the young adult to appoint an individual to make decisions on their behalf. The young adult must be able to understand that the appoint-ed person will make the decisions and must be able to grant consent to do so.
- Although not required, consultation from an attorney is recommended in the preparation and execution.
- Low cost, easy to create and change, and revocable at any time.
Guardianship
- Applicable when the young adult lacks the ability to make decisions in some or all areas and is unable to give informed consent and under-stand the consequences of decisions.
- Requires judicial review since guardianships, including general or limited, impact an individual's right to make decisions in major life areas involving person and/or property, as a court determines.
- The Bureau of Guardianship, within the Department of Human Services may be able to assist eligible families with the process.
Resources
Supported Decision-Making
- Self-Determination & Supported Decision-Making, Span Parent Advocacy Network (https://spanadvocacy.org/download/self-determination-supported-decision-making/)
- supporteddecisionmaking.org
- Supported Decision-Making: Change the Culture, Change the World! May 17, 2018 Lecture, The Boggs Center on Development Disabilities (http://rwjms.rutgers.edu/boggscenter/dd_lecture/May172018.html)
Power of Attorney
- FAQs about Power of Attorney 2018, Rutgers Law School (law.rutgers.edu/file/faqs-about-power-attorney- 2018)
- The Education Power of Attorney: Empowering Students with Disabilities, Special Needs Alliance (specialneedsalliance.org/blog/the-education-power-of-attorney-empowering-students-with-disabilities)
Guardianship
- guardianship.org
- Guardianship & Alternative Options Go Bag, The Arc of New Jersey (thearcfamilyinstitute.org/resources/guardianship-go-bag.html)
- How to Apply for Guardianship of the Person and Estate (Property) of an Individual Eligible for Services from the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) (njcourts.gov/forms/10558_guardianship_person_and_estate.pdf?c=TUV )
- New Jersey Surrogates (njcourts.gov/public/assets/directories/surrogateroster.pdf?c=U0U)
- Understanding Guardianship, Autism New Jersey (autismnj.org/article/understanding-guardianship)
Children's After-School Treatment Services
(C.A.T.S.)
Please see the information below about the Register Ready Resource available through the Office of Emergency Management and please consider including information about this valuable resource on your websites.
Register Ready is a confidential and secure database designed to help emergency managers and first responders plan for and support people who have disabilities and access and functional needs (DAFN) who may need assistance in the event of a disaster. Permanent and seasonal New Jersey residents with DAFN should register if they might need help evacuating, sheltering in place or at a public shelter, or require special emergency assistance. Individuals with a temporary disability, such as a high-risk pregnancy or other serious medical condition, are also encouraged to register.
Please note:
• Individuals can register at no cost at www.registerready.nj.gov or by calling 211.
• The Register Ready brochure is available in 9 difference languages and can be accessed at: https://nj.gov/njoem/plan-
prepare/access-functional- needs.shtml Thanks,
Nick
Nicholas Pecht, M.P.A. (he/him)
System Partner Lead
Department of Children and Families
Children’s System of Care
Office of Community Services
50 East State St., 3rd fl.
Trenton, NJ 08625
Cell Phone: (201) 280-9596
HOW WE HELP
Disability Rights New Jersey, a nonprofit organization, is dedicated to advancing and protecting the human, civil, and legal rights of people with disabilities.
- We aggressively investigate reports of abuse and neglect wherever a person with a disability may be receiving services.
- We thoroughly monitor facilities and community-based programs to ensure that people living in those facilities and using those services are free from abuse and neglect, and that their rights are not violated.
- We provide legal representation, without charge, to people with disabilities in cases that fall within our priority setting process.
- We are dedicated to providing education, training, and technical assistance to people with disabilities, their families and advocates, the agencies that service them, and policy makers among others.
- We provide state-of-the-art access to information and advice about assistive technology.
Read Our Story
-
Sensory-Friendly
Vaccine Clinic
Through funding provided by the Provident Bank Foundation, Bergen’s Promise has partnered with Holy Name Medical Center to create a safe and sensory-friendly COVID-19 vaccination space to meet the needs of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Northern New Jersey. Flu vaccine is also available upon request.
This resource is available to individuals ages 5 and up, regardless of enrollment in Bergen’s Promise.
The clinic will be held on Thursdays from 3:00 to 7:00 pm at 3 University Plaza Drive, Suite 105, Hackensack, NJ.
Appointments are required! Appointments will be scheduled within a dedicated time on the clinic’s calendar to avoid crowding and allow for longer appointments.
To register, visit www.holyname.org/IDDClinic and fill out the pre-visit questionnaire prior to the appointment.
Attached is a promotional flyer and images of the clinic space for your review.
Please share this information with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities that you serve who need COVID-19 or flu vaccines/boosters.
Reach out to Amy Faus, Health Promotion Manager at Bergen’s Promise with questions as needed!
Important News
Expanded Eligibility for NJ FamilyCare Coverage
Beginning January 1, 2023, all income-eligible children under the age of 19 – regardless of immigration status – are eligible to enroll in NJ FamilyCare health insurance program.
NJ FamilyCare is a publicly funded health insurance program that includes Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). It is managed by the NJ Department of Human Services. Undocumented children are eligible if the family earns no more than 355% of the federal poverty level, which equates to $8,210 a month for a family of four.
This expanded eligibility is expected to apply to 16,000 children in NJ. It will allow children to:
- get health care insurance for the first time, and
- see a pediatrician or
- visit an emergency room without their families wondering how to pay the bill.
Listen to a short NPR podcast here
Learn more and apply here
or call
1-800-701-0710 (TTY: 711)
Individuals ineligible for NJ FamilyCare can find information on other insurance affordability programs at www.getcovered.nj.gov
Preparing for the Age of Majority:
Supported Decision-Making and Other Support Options
A collaborative effort between the following agencies:
New Jersey Department of Education,
Office of Special Education
609-376-9084
New Jersey Department of Human Services,
Bureau of Guardianship Services
609-631-2213
state.nj.us/humanservices/ddd/services/guardianship
New Jersey Department of Children & Families,
Office of Education and the Children’s System of Care (CSOC)
1-877-652-7624
nj.gov/dcf/about/divisions/oe nj.gov/dcf/about/divisions/dcsc
In New Jersey, a child becomes an adult at the age of 18, and all parental rights transfer to the child upon reaching this age of majority.
If you expect your child with disabilities will need help to manage the responsibility of making important adult decisions, do you know about the support options?
Will Your Child Be Ready?
Not every young adult with a disability requires a legal guardian when they turn 18, since many are capable of making informed decisions on their own.
When your child with a disability turns 18 and needs support to handle the responsibility of making important adult decisions, there are several support options to consider. From supported decision making, which preserves the most autonomy for your child, to a power of attorney and the use of an appointed guardian, families should consider which options are the most appropriate to meet their child’s unique needs.
Transition Planning: Start The Discussion Early
At least three years before a child turns 18, the child’s IEP must include a statement that the child and the parents or guardians have been informed of the transfer of educational rights from the parents or guardians to the child/young adult upon reaching the age of majority. The purpose of providing this information is to protect the child’s rights, and will allow the child and parents or guardians time to consider additional support options depending on the unique needs of the child. The support options are based on the child’s ability to make informed decisions. The least restrictive option being Supported Decision–Making.
Support Decision-Making
- Maintains the young adult’s decision-making ability with the assistance of an individual or individuals appointed by the young adult.
- Family members, friends, or professionals may be appointed to serve as their support in making decisions.
- Studies have shown that people with disabilities who exercise greater self-determination have a better quality of life, display more independence, are more likely to be employed, and are more likely to be involved in the community.
Supported Decision-Making can help people with disabilities to:
- Understand information, issues, and choices;
- Focus attention in decision-making;
- Weigh options;
- Ensure that decisions are based on their own preferences; and
- Interpret and/or communicate decisions to other parties.
Other Support Options
Power of Attorney
- Allows the young adult to appoint an individual to make decisions on their behalf. The young adult must be able to understand that the appoint-ed person will make the decisions and must be able to grant consent to do so.
- Although not required, consultation from an attorney is recommended in the preparation and execution.
- Low cost, easy to create and change, and revocable at any time.
Guardianship
- Applicable when the young adult lacks the ability to make decisions in some or all areas and is unable to give informed consent and under-stand the consequences of decisions.
- Requires judicial review since guardianships, including general or limited, impact an individual's right to make decisions in major life areas involving person and/or property, as a court determines.
- The Bureau of Guardianship, within the Department of Human Services may be able to assist eligible families with the process.
Resources
Supported Decision-Making
- Self-Determination & Supported Decision-Making, Span Parent Advocacy Network (https://spanadvocacy.org/download/self-determination-supported-decision-making/)
- supporteddecisionmaking.org
- Supported Decision-Making: Change the Culture, Change the World! May 17, 2018 Lecture, The Boggs Center on Development Disabilities (http://rwjms.rutgers.edu/boggscenter/dd_lecture/May172018.html)
Power of Attorney
- FAQs about Power of Attorney 2018, Rutgers Law School (law.rutgers.edu/file/faqs-about-power-attorney- 2018)
- The Education Power of Attorney: Empowering Students with Disabilities, Special Needs Alliance (specialneedsalliance.org/blog/the-education-power-of-attorney-empowering-students-with-disabilities)
Guardianship
- guardianship.org
- Guardianship & Alternative Options Go Bag, The Arc of New Jersey (thearcfamilyinstitute.org/resources/guardianship-go-bag.html)
- How to Apply for Guardianship of the Person and Estate (Property) of an Individual Eligible for Services from the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) (njcourts.gov/forms/10558_guardianship_person_and_estate.pdf?c=TUV )
- New Jersey Surrogates (njcourts.gov/public/assets/directories/surrogateroster.pdf?c=U0U)
- Understanding Guardianship, Autism New Jersey (autismnj.org/article/understanding-guardianship)
Children's After-School Treatment Services
(C.A.T.S.)
Please see the information below about the Register Ready Resource available through the Office of Emergency Management and please consider including information about this valuable resource on your websites.
Register Ready is a confidential and secure database designed to help emergency managers and first responders plan for and support people who have disabilities and access and functional needs (DAFN) who may need assistance in the event of a disaster. Permanent and seasonal New Jersey residents with DAFN should register if they might need help evacuating, sheltering in place or at a public shelter, or require special emergency assistance. Individuals with a temporary disability, such as a high-risk pregnancy or other serious medical condition, are also encouraged to register.
Please note:
• Individuals can register at no cost at www.registerready.nj.gov or by calling 211.
• The Register Ready brochure is available in 9 difference languages and can be accessed at: https://nj.gov/njoem/plan-
prepare/access-functional- needs.shtml Thanks,
Nick
Nicholas Pecht, M.P.A. (he/him)
System Partner Lead
Department of Children and Families
Children’s System of Care
Office of Community Services
50 East State St., 3rd fl.
Trenton, NJ 08625
Cell Phone: (201) 280-9596
HOW WE HELP
Disability Rights New Jersey, a nonprofit organization, is dedicated to advancing and protecting the human, civil, and legal rights of people with disabilities.
- We aggressively investigate reports of abuse and neglect wherever a person with a disability may be receiving services.
- We thoroughly monitor facilities and community-based programs to ensure that people living in those facilities and using those services are free from abuse and neglect, and that their rights are not violated.
- We provide legal representation, without charge, to people with disabilities in cases that fall within our priority setting process.
- We are dedicated to providing education, training, and technical assistance to people with disabilities, their families and advocates, the agencies that service them, and policy makers among others.
- We provide state-of-the-art access to information and advice about assistive technology.
Read Our Story