From:	"Stephanie Kramer" <skramer@...>
Subject:	We need your help! Action needed!
Date:	Monday, January 28, 2008 10:45:32 AM	High Priority

Good morning J

Please read below….we really need your help!!

 

 

 

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

10 Years Later:  We're Further Behind!

 

Did you know?

• There are about 8,000 people with developmental disabilities on a waiting list for residential services in New Jersey. 
• Almost half of those individuals are in the in the "Priority" or "Urgent" category?  That means that they are living at home with aging parents who are increasingly unable to care for them.
• Some of these individuals have been waiting for over 10 years for housing. 
• Many of these families are currently living in crisis situations.  Aged parents are struggling with adult sons or daughters who require assistance with basic needs like toileting or bathing or who have very challenging behavioral or mental health issues.   These parents are receiving little or no assistance from the State and are simultaneously facing their own medical issues related to aging.

 

On January 30, 1998 – exactly TEN YEARS AGO this Wednesday – the State of New Jersey released a 10 Year Plan to Eliminate the Community Residential Waiting List for individuals with developmental disabilities.   Despite the legislative mandate that required the creation of the Plan, it was not fully implemented and was only funded for the first few years.  As a result, 10 years later, this waiting list has almost DOUBLED in size.   

 

The Arc of New Jersey has proposed a practical solution to this crisis; one that takes the State's current fiscal problems into consideration: The 10% Solution.  The 10% Solution asks the state to commit to reducing the urgent waiting list by 10% each year for the next ten years. 

 

Governor Corzine is putting together his proposed FY2009 State Budget right now.  Now is the time to make sure out voices are heard that individuals with developmental disabilities and their families are IN CRISIS.  We need your help to make sure the 10% Solutions is included in the FY2009 State Budget! 

 

How You Can Help:

 

1. Please contact Governor Corzine's office between now and Wednesday, January 30, 2008 and ask him to include the 10% Solution in his FY2009 State Budget. 
   1. If you want to call, the phone number is:  609-292-6000
   2. If you want to send a fax, the fax number is:  609-292-3454
   3. If you want to send an email, go to http://www.state.nj.us/governor/govmail.html and fill out the form.  Choose "housing" as a topic, but leave the sub-topic blank.  Just fill in your personal information and type a short message.  You can include "The Arc of NJ" in the organization section, but you don't have to. 
   4. Talking points are included below.   
   5. If you are not that familiar with the issue but still want to help, your message can be as simple as this:  "Dear Governor Corzine,  My name is [INSERT NAME}.  I am a concerned citizen and am worried that people with developmental disabilities are in crisis.  Please include The Arc of NJ's 10% Solution in your FY2009 State Budget plan.  Thank you." 

 

2. Please pass along this email to all your contacts in New Jersey and ask them to join our efforts! 

 

 

Talking Points:

 

à        Ten years ago today, the New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Developmental Disabilities released it's A Plan to Eliminate the Waiting List for Community Residential Services by 2008." 

 

à        The report predicted that if the State did not act, the waiting list for community residential services for people with developmental disabilities would reach a little over 7,400.  According to the Division of Developmental Disabilities, we have surpassed that estimate and the waiting list is currently just under 8,000.

 

à        The need for community based housing opportunities for people with developmental disabilities is critical and is not going to go away by ignoring the problem.

 

à        Governor Corzine needs to commit to addressing this problem – not next fiscal year or next month, but today.  Individuals living with aging caregivers and/or who have increasingly difficult needs can no longer wait.

 

à        We are tired of plans and promises.  We need action!!

 

à        We need funding in the FY2009 State Budget for The 10% Solution.  We Must End the Wait for NJ's Forgotten Families! 

 

 

For more information, go to www.arcnj.org or contact us at 732-246-2525.

 

Elizabeth M. Shea, Esq.

Assistant Executive Director

The Arc of New Jersey

732-246-2525, ext. 38

eshea@...g

 

 

 

Stephanie Kramer

Director, Education Advocacy

The Arc of NJ

985 Livingston Ave

North Brunswick, NJ 08902

732-246-2525 ext. 20

732-214-1834 (fax)

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