The Arc of New Jersey continues to push for increased funding in the State Budget ws we head into the final weeks of the fiscal year. Throughout the past few months, The Arc of New Jersey met one-on-one with members of the Senate and Assembly Budget Committees to discuss our organization's priority funding needs for FY24. We thank everyone who participated in our recent action alert and we ask you to keep an eye out for future opportunities to advocate as we finish out the remainder of FY23.

This month, we feature Megan MacMullin who recently took over as CEO of SCARC. Megan has many years of experience supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. We wanted an opportunity to introduce Megan to our readers and learn a little more about her background and her future plans for the Chapter.

1.   Tell us a little bit about your background and how you're using your past experiences in your new role.

I moved back to New Jersey and began my professional career as a social worker at Willowglen Academy where I worked with children with intellectual and developmental disabilities and teens with mental health challenges. I then accepted a job in the Vernon Township School District as a child study team social worker. I worked with families and students who were placed in out-of-district placements in specialized schools. It is a pleasure to work with many of these families again now at SCARC. Click here to keep reading.

On May 17, The Arc/Morris celebrated 70 years of providing critical supports and services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. More than 300 people attended their Annual Awards Gala which was held at the Birchwood Manor in Whippany. The Arc of NJ's Senior Director Sharon Levine was honored to serve as the event emcee. The evening included awards, dinner and an uplifting keynote address. Congratulations to The Arc/Morris on this incredible milestone and for hosting a wonderful celebration. Additional photos from the event can be viewed here.

Pictured from left to right: The Arc of NJ's Executive Director Tom Baffuto, Senior Director Sharon Levine, The Arc/Morris Executive Director Sal Moran, The Arc/Morris Board President Tom Horn, former Board President Ann Bender and her husband and current Board Member Wally Bender.

Pictured above left: The Arc of NJ's Executive Director Tom Baffuto with staff and supporters of The Arc of Camden County at the Chapter's event on May 21, at Lindenwold Memorial Park. Tom is also pictured in the photo above on the right with the team from The Arc of Burlington County at the Chapter's event on May 21, at the Masonic Village Pavilion.

On May 4, 2023, the Community Health Law Project held its annual Law & Disability Conference at the New Jersey Law Center. One of the conference workshops focused on an important issue that is known as Medicaid unwinding. The Arc of New Jersey's Mainstreaming Medical Care Director Beverly Roberts presented as part of that workshop entitled: "Medicaid Eligibility in Light of the State's Requirement to Conduct Eligibility Redeterminations of Medicaid Recipients in the Coming Months"

Pictured from left to right is Meena Song from Disability Rights New Jersey, Beverly Roberts from The Arc of New Jersey, Department of Human Services Assistant Commissioner Jennifer Langer Jacobs, and Michael Brower from DRNJ.

Our Director of Children's Advocacy Michael Pearson Jr. presented to Monmouth County Superintendents and Special Education Directors on May 12th at Bell Works in Holmdel. The workshop provided a brief overview of transition planning and services for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who have long-term goals of employment and postsecondary education. While district staff are knowledgeable about transition services, most families are not aware of what can be provided or how to contribute to the transition planning process. Michael discussed strategies to relay this information to families, with a focus on the importance of self-advocacy skills and creating student-centered transition plans. 

The Arc of Benton County, as a local chapter of The Arc U.S., has a strong record of accomplishment, fostering innovation and creativity in providing support to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). John Gotchall, MD, a Justice Advocate for The Arc of Benton County, reached out to the Criminal Justice Advocacy Program (CJAP) regarding their chapter's efforts to develop a pilot program inspired by the CJAP model. Driven by his passion for supporting individuals with IDD in the criminal justice system, the chapter drew inspiration from The Arc of NJ and its expertise. During the initial stages of developing their Personalized Justice Plan (PJP), best practices and insights on achieving systemic outcomes was discussed, including the focus on addressing the needs of specific populations, such as FASD. To guide the development of the PJP, various examples and templates were provided for reference. To continue reading, click here.

The Arc of New Jersey is thrilled to be the benefit charity of the 51st Annual Irish Festival. The event will take place on Sunday, June 11, from 10 am to 6 pm at Monmouth Park Racetrack. Come enjoy a day of great Irish entertainment, pipe and drum competition and vendors. And don't forget the Human Horse Race where The Arc of NJ has a sponsored horse "The Advocate" in the running! To make a donation to support our "horse", scan the QR code (pictured right) and make sure you select "Human Horse Race" for your donation. The name of The Arc of NJ's horse is The Advocate. Or contact Céline Fortin at The Arc of NJ for assistance at cfortin@arcnj.org. All proceeds from the Human Horse Race go to The Arc of New Jersey. More information about the festival can be found here: www.njirishfestival.com