In this Week's Edition
News
SHA Member Meeting Recap
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CMS To Provide Additional Funding
For Money Follows The Person Program
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Fannie Mae Expanded Housing
Choice Initiative To Increase
Access To Affordable Housing
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DOJ Guidance On Protections For
People With Opioid Use Disorder Under
The Americans With Disabilities Act
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Social Security
Administration Updates:
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Resuming In-Person Services
at Local SSA Offices
Online / Telephone Services
Still Most Convenient To Contact Agency
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New Application Tool For
Supplemental Security Income
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Homeless System Response: Guidance for
Recruiting, Hiring, and Retaining People With
Lived Experience and Expertise of Homelessness
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More Details On $300M Boost
To NJ’s Affordable Housing
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NJCDD Perspective: How And Why
Disability Bias Remains Pervasive
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CSH Launches Survey On Vaccinations
and Healthcare Access for Supportive
Housing Providers and Tenants
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SEED: Growing our Communities
Program by HCDNNJ & NJCC
For Low-Cost Loans
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NJHMFA 2022 Spring Tax Credit
Compliance With Fair Housing Training
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nTIDE March 2022 Jobs Report
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Assistive Technology Awareness Day
Resources & Virtual Forums
Rutgers CSS Clinician Documentation Training
April 19 & 26, 2022
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Boggs Center Spring 2022
Developmental Disabilities Lecture Series
April - May 2022
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Next SHA
Developers Meeting
Next SHA
Members Meeting
(New Date)
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HCDNNJ
Healthy Homes & Communities Summit Online
April 29, 2022 | 9am-1:30pm
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Abilities Expo
April 29-May 1, 2022
NJ Convention & Expo Ctr
Fri. 11am-5pm
Sat. 11am-5pm
Sun 11am-4pm
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CHLP Law and
Disability Conference
Thursday, May 5, 2022
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LeadingAge New Jersey & Delaware
May 31 - June 2, 2022
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NJAAW
24th Annual Conference
June 13, 2022
New Brunswick.
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Check the New
Housing Available in:
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SHA Welcomes New & Returning
Members In 2022
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SHA extends our thanks to all of our guest speakers and member attendees for joining us during yesterday's April Member Meeting. It was packed with some great information and presentations including:
- Attendees learned about the Arc Mercer Path to Total Agency Transportation (TAT), which covered a multi-year process to address transportation needs and develop innovative solutions.
- SHA welcomed Deborah Cornavaca, Deputy Chief of Staff for Governor Murphy who reviewed the latest on state budgets and funding, especially on the efforts to increase funds for housing in New Jersey.
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Justin Scheid, New Jersey Field Office Director at HUD, presented updates on HUD Budgets as well as the strategic plan covering 2022-2026.
SHA Members get access to engaging and informative conversations including at our recent member meeting. If you are interested in learning more about the benefits of SHA membership, you can email Joseph Christensen to learn more.
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CMS To Provide Additional Funding
For Money Follows The Person Program
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With thanks to NJACP for covering this story, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it would provide an additional $110 million for Medicaid’s Money Follows the Person (MFP) program. The MFP program expands access to home and community-based services by supporting individuals transitioning from institutions to their homes and communities.
The new Notice of Funding Opportunity makes awards of up to $5 million available to states and territories, with a focus on expanding in states and territories not currently participating in the MFP program. State Medicaid agencies may apply for the funding through May 31, 2022.
For states already participating in the MFP program, including New Jersey, CMS announced that MFP supplemental services will now be 100% federally funded, and that those “supplemental services” will be expanded to include additional services that support individuals’ transitions, including short-term housing and food assistance.
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Fannie Mae Expanded Housing Choice Initiative
To Increase Access To Affordable Housing
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Fannie Mae launched the Expanded Housing Choice initiative, a 12-month pilot that will offer lower financing costs to incentivize multifamily property owners with Fannie Mae-backed loans to accept HUD’s Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs). The Expanded Housing Choice program is designed to drive greater acceptance of HCVs in the multifamily market, which would enable more voucher holders to use their HCVs before they expire and to access rental housing in higher-opportunity areas. The initiative will start in Texas and North Carolina, providing a new pricing incentive for the states’ multifamily property owners who accept HCVs. As part of this initiative, Fannie Mae has partnered with Enterprise Community Partners to provide resources that help lenders and borrowers understand and get the most out of HUD's HCV program. The initiative will be executed through Fannie Mae's Multifamily Delegated Underwriting and Servicing platform, which finances quality, sustainable and affordable rental housing.
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DOJ Guidance On Protections For People With Opioid Use Disorder Under The Americans With Disabilities Act
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The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it has published new guidance on how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects people with opioid use disorder (OUD) who are in treatment or recovery, including those who take medication to treat their OUD. The guidance document, titled The Americans with Disabilities Act and the Opioid Crisis: Combating Discrimination Against People in Treatment or Recovery, is intended to help people with OUD who are in treatment or recovery understand their rights under federal law, and to provide guidance to entities covered by the ADA about how to comply with the law.
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Social Security Administration Updates:
Resuming In-Person Services at Local SSA Offices
Online / Telephone Services Still Most Convenient To Contact Agency
New Application Tool For Supplemental Security Income
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Local Social Security offices will restore in-person services, including for people without an appointment, on April 7, 2022.
To avoid waiting in line, the Social Security Administration encourages people, who can, to use online services at www.socialsecurity.gov, call, and schedule appointments in advance rather than walking in without an appointment. Phone appointments can save you a trip to a busy office. Customers who walk in without appointments may encounter delays and longer waits at offices. Be aware that offices tend to be the busiest first thing in the morning, early in the week, and during the early part of the month, so people may want to plan to visit at other times.
Given that many of the people served by the SSA have health vulnerabilities, and consistent with SSA union agreements, the SSA is continuing to require certain safety measures including masking, physical distancing, and self-health checks for COVID-19 symptoms. SSA will provide masks to the public and employees if they need them. As SSA transitions to a new modern phone system, some people may experience a busy signal or be unintentionally disconnected from their call. The SSA sincerely regrets this disruption and recommend people call when the National 800 Number may be less busy, such as before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m. local time or later in the week. Just as with SSA offices, wait times are generally shorter later in the month.
Most Social Security services are available to the public online at www.socialsecurity.gov and with a my Social Security account, or by telephone. And most Social Security services do not require the public to take time to visit an office. People may create their my Social Security account, a personalized online service, at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount.
Many Social Security services are also conveniently available by dialing toll-free, 1‑800‑772‑1213. People who are deaf or hard of hearing may call Social Security’s TTY number, 1‑800‑325‑0778.
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New Application Tool For Supplemental Security Income
An individual only needs to provide basic information to make the online request. After the individual submits the request, SSA will schedule an appointment to apply for benefits, which will take place over the phone, and let the individual know of the appointment date within 14 business days. "Priority life circumstances” – such as homelessness, a terminal illness, or recent release from incarceration – can be indicated in the application. If one of these priority life circumstances is indicated in the application, an SSA employee will attempt to contact the applicant by phone within three business days to either apply for SSI benefits then or to schedule an appointment to apply
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Homeless System Response: Guidance for
Recruiting, Hiring, and Retaining People With
Lived Experience and Expertise of Homelessness
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Forming partnerships with individuals with lived expertise is urgent and necessary in the fight to end homelessness. As communities grapple with how to create more equitable systems, the increasing awareness of the importance of engaging individuals with lived expertise of homelessness presents new possibilities for implementing equitable change. Hiring people with lived expertise is one of several staffing options for COVID-19 Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG-CV) administration. Whatever the position within the organization, the benefits to the workplace and for the person with lived experience and expertise is a win-win!
Before the hiring process begins, there are some key requirements for the recruitment, hiring, effective onboarding, and retention of people who have experienced homelessness: inclusive and equitable hiring practices; staff orientation to racial equity and trauma; a supportive workplace that creates a sense of belonging; and a workplace environment that values the awareness, knowledge, and wisdom that comes from experiencing homelessness. To end homelessness, it is important to develop authentic partnerships with people who have experienced it. Hiring people who are experts by experience allows for the exploration of new opportunities for both the organization and the individual.
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More Details On $300M Boost To NJ’s Affordable Housing
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A new $300 million housing fund would be the largest increase in New Jersey’s affordable housing program in more than a decade but would provide only a fraction of such housing the state needs. Gov. Phil Murphy has proposed a new Affordable Housing Production Fund, paid for largely by federal COVID-19 recovery money. The fund, included in his budget proposal under review by the Legislature, would build 3,300 units of designated affordable housing for residents with low and moderate incomes over the next four years. All those affordable buildings would be zoned to meet municipalities’ court-mandated obligations according to the court’s Mount Laurel doctrine.
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NJCDD Perspective:
How And Why Disability Bias Remains Pervasive
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Ableism is not a small wrinkle inconveniencing some people’s lives, but an entrenched social norm that infects so many aspects of social cohesion. The reality is that people with disabilities are people, deserving of all the access as any of their able-bodied and neurotypical peers. We don’t receive it, because the world is not built for us, and people don’t have us at the front of their minds when designing both social and physical structures. A Forbes article by contributor Andrew Pulrang expands,
“Every unnecessary barrier in businesses, offices, and public facilities restricts disabled people’s mobility, and puts another part of the community out of their reach. Likewise, failing to provide information and communication in alternative formats — including websites and social media — further isolates and impoverishes the everyday lives of people with visual, hearing, and communication disabilities.”
This is crucial. This demonstrates that ableism, discrimination against people with disabilities, is not the result of individual actions or bad attitudes from non-disabled people, but is the result of tangible structures that make our lives harder. Annoyingly enough, we are often overlooked in discussions of discrimination. People may simply forget we exist. The Forbes article continues, “Disabled people today are in many ways far more free and mobile than ever before. But they almost all still encounter physical and design barriers that shouldn’t be there. These barriers are more than just a personal affront. They compound disabilities themselves, and make disabled people’s struggle for independence and freedom harder — in some cases out of reach.”
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CSH Launches Survey On Vaccinations and Healthcare Access for Supportive Housing Providers and Tenants
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CSH, as part of our Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), is undertaking a national survey of Supportive Housing providers and tenants to deepen our understanding of the COVID-19 vaccination effort and access to care during the pandemic. We are seeking assistance from housing leaders and providers to help us reach as many tenants and staff as possible! Results from this survey will be used to inform technical assistance to health centers across the country.
This survey is entirely voluntary, anonymous and should take no longer than 15 mins to complete. Please note that the same survey link can be used for both providers and tenants. There will be the option to self-disclose if you are a tenant or a provider at the beginning which will determine the questions that follow.
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SEED: Growing our Communities
Program by HCDNNJ & NJCC For Low-Cost Loans
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The SEED: Growing our Communities program, sponsored in partnership by the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey (HCDNNJ) and New Jersey Community Capital (NJCC), provides access to low-cost, predevelopment loans to support their economic development projects.
For additional information, please contact:
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New Jersey Community Capital:
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Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey:
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NJHMFA 2022 Spring Tax Credit
Compliance With Fair Housing Training
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May 19-20, 2022
Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA) is offering a Low Income Housing Tax Credit with Fair Housing Live Webinar (not recorded). Certified Tax Credit Professionals will earn 2022 continuing education credits to satisfy the minimum requirement of six (6) hours annually.
When:
- Thursday, May 19
- Low Income Housing Tax Credit Training - 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Friday, May 20
- LIHTC Training (cont’d) & Fair Housing - 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Fee:
- Webinar with PDF printable Course Book: $100
- Webinar with Course Book (hard copy) by mail: $125
Payment Method: Credit card payment only.
Registration ends on April 22, 2022.
Refund Policy: No refunds
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nTIDE March 2022 Jobs Report
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Job numbers exceed historic highs for six months for people with disabilities
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Assistive Technology Awareness Day
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On Wednesday of this week, people around the country honored National Assistive Technology Awareness Day. The National Assistive Technology (AT) Awareness Day commemorates the importance and vital role AT plays in the lives of people with disabilities and older adults. This day reinforces the necessary support and funding the federal government provides to ensure people receive the assistive technology necessary to engage in education, employment, and community living. Assistive technology allows individuals with disabilities and older adults to be included in their communities and in inclusive classrooms and workplaces and these devices are necessities, not luxury items.
What is Assistive Technology (AT)?
"Any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of a person with a disability.”
Simply Said- It is any item that you use that allows you to do a task that you could not do otherwise. For example it could be using reading glasses to read a book, without the glasses you would not be able to read the book.
Below are some useful resources to learn more about AT:
Interested in Assistive Technology? Don't miss out on the 2022 Abilities Expo
Abilities Expo
April 29-May 1, 2022 | NJ Convention & Expo Center
Fri. 11am-5pm - Sat. 11am-5pm - Sun 11am-4pm
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Resources & Virtual Forums
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Rutgers CSS Clinician Documentation Training
April 19 and 26 – Register Now
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The Rutgers School of Health Professions (SHP) is offering a two-session training that will provide licensed Community Support Services (CSS) providers (e.g., LCSW, LPC, LSW, LAC, RN) a clear understanding of CSS and documentation standards. This training is intended for licensed staff (pursuant to supervision guidelines) and Registered Nurses who are responsible for completing the CRNAs and IRPs for their agencies who have NEVER attended a CSS training OR who feel they need further training to complete these documents. CSS programs should limit registration to 1 to 2 staff.
This CSS Clinician Documentation training will review CSS interventions, psychiatric rehabilitation goals, values, and principles, the comprehensive rehabilitation needs assessment (CRNA), and the individualized rehabilitation plan (IRP). Sessions will be small enough to provide participants with practice opportunities.
The CSS Clinician Documentation training will be remote:
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There will be online content on Canvas to complete before the training.
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You must complete five asynchronous CSS Orientation Pre-Requisite Modules on Canvas (Overview of Admissions and Documentation, CSS Services, the Golden Thread of CSS, Development of the Rehabilitation Needs Assessment, and Development of the Individualized Rehabilitation Plan) by Tuesday 4/12 at 5 pm. These modules should take about 2-3 hours to complete.
- After the staff register, they will receive detailed instructions to sign up for Canvas and complete the pre-requisite modules.
- The training will be held live through Zoom over two days, and participants must attend both days:
- Day 1: April 19 (9:30 am-12:30 pm)
- Day 2: April 26 (9:30 am-12:30 pm)
Space is limited, so licensed staff (e.g., LCSW, LPC, LSW, LAC, RN) should register as soon as possible. Registration information must be for the staff attending the training.
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Boggs Center Spring 2022
Developmental Disabilities Lecture Series
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SPRING 2022 SESSIONS
Friday, April 22, 2022 l 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM l Webinar
Neurodiversity, Self-Advocacy, and Self-Determination
Friday, May 13, 2022 l 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM l Webinar
Acknowledging and Fostering the Critical Role of Support Coordinators
The Spring 2022 Developmental Disabilities Lecture Series will be held on the Zoom Webinar platform. The webinars are free of charge. Space is limited for each of the sessions. Open to people who live or work in New Jersey.
To access the webinars, you must register in advance on The Boggs Center Online Registration System.
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There are many great ways of supporting SHA: Join as a member, send donations, or shop with AmazonSmile. Thank you for your support!
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Want all the member benefits with SHA? Visit our website or contact Joseph Christensen to apply or manage your membership.
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Members can post jobs to find applicants within the wider supportive housing community. Click on the button to visit our job page.
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Diane Riley, Executive Director
Joseph Christensen, Membership & Communication Manager
Kate Kelly, MSW – Integrated Community Project Manager
Kate Leahy, Housing Navigator Project Manager
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Advocate ● Educate ● Support
The Supportive Housing Association of New Jersey unites its diverse coalition of members engaging development, resources, and information to sustain supportive housing systems within New Jersey. Since 1998, our statewide mission seeks to enhance lives and accessibility to enable independent living within our communities.
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Supportive Housing Association of New Jersey
185 Valley Street, South Orange, NJ 07079
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