Below are 2 important updates from The New Jersey Coalition for a DSP Living Wage and the New Jersey Division of Developmental Disabilities .
Dear Coalition for a DSP Living Wage:
 
It’s Budget GO time! FY2020 must be finalized by the end of this month, so it’s critical we keep the pressure on legislators to include $54-million in this year’s state budget to raise DSP wages!
 
This Thursday, June 13, 2019, from 10:30am to 12:00pm, please join us at the State House for a mini Advocacy Day to ask legislators, “Can we count on you?”
 
We’ve got two tables reserved in the basement hallway of the New Jersey State House ( 145 West State Street, Trenton ) where we’ll have Coalition buttons and materials ready about our FY2020 Budget Ask for advocates to hand to legislators as they make their way to their meetings that morning.
 
Directions to the NJ State House & Parking Information are here:  https://njstatehousetours.org/tour/index.php/directions/
 
Here’s the plan:
 
10:30am — Coalition Advocates Meet in the NJ State House Cafeteria. The Cafeteria is in the basement of the State House near the parking garage. We’ll gather there to get organized and then make our way to the State House basement hallway together as a group.

If you have a green DSP Coalition tee-shirt, please wear it. We will also have tee shirts available that morning on-site.
 
10:45am-12:00pm – Coalition Advocates Make Their Voice Heard
Coalition advocates will line the hallway of the basement of the State House Annex and hand Coalition pins and the FY2020 Budget One-Pager to lawmakers as they walk by and ask them, â€ś Can we count on you? ” All materials will be provided that morning.

A strong showing at the State House on June 13, especially after our AWESOME RALLY in May, would make a strong statement to lawmakers that we cannot wait for significant funding for DSP wages. Our field is in crisis and we need action NOW. 
 
If you have any questions about Advocacy Day next Thursday, June 13, please contact Libby Vinson at  libby@absnj.com
 
I look forward to seeing you at the State House Thursday!


Valerie Sellers
Chair, Coalition for a DSP Living Wage

The following information was sent out by the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) on June 7, 2019 and appears unedited below. Please note that The Arc of New Jersey is NOT the author of this information. We are only forwarding it as a service to individuals and families who may not be on the Division's subscription list.
NJ Minimum Wage Law
 
Governor Murphy on Feb. 4 signed a law to raise New Jersey’s minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2024. The minimum wage in New Jersey is $8.85 per hour, and the increase will happen in increments as follows:
 
EFFECTIVE DATE MINIMUM WAGE INCREASES TO
July 1, 2019 $10 per hour
Jan. 1, 2020 $11 per hour
Jan. 1, 2021 $12 per hour
Jan. 1, 2022 $13 per hour
Jan. 1, 2023 $14 per hour
Jan. 1, 2024 $15 per hour
 
This law may impact some DDD-funded provider agencies and individuals who receive DDD-funded services from self-directed employees.

Provider agencies will need to familiarize themselves with the new law and make whatever wage adjustments are needed to comply with the law as it rolls out over the next five years.
 
Individuals who receive DDD-funded services from a self-directed employee will need to make sure they comply with the new law by ensuring their employee’s hourly wage is at least $10 by July 1, $11 by Jan. 1 and so on.
 
To increase a self-directed employee’s hourly wage, individuals must contact their Support Coordinator, and the fiscal intermediary that issues payments to their employee.

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DDD Quarterly Update Meetings Will be Held Wednesday, June 19
 
The Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) quarterly update meetings will be held  Wednesday, June 19, 2019 . Please see webinar registration link and RSVP instructions below.
 
Quarterly Update Meeting for PROVIDERS, INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES
Date: Wednesday, June 19
Time: 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Location: Webinar
 
Quarterly Update Meeting for INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES
Date: Wednesday, June 19
Time: 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Location: 5 Commerce Way, Room 199 A/B, Hamilton, NJ 08691
RSVP for Individuals/Families Meeting:  Diane.Flynn@dhs.state.nj.us

The Arc of NJ | 732.246.2525 | advocacy@arcnj.org | www.arcnj.org