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In this Week's Edition
News
NJ Office of Homelessness Prevention (OHP)
Announces Document Access and Support
for Housing (DASH) RFP
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DMHAS RFP:
Substance Use Disorder Peer Recovery Specialists for Residential Treatment
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NJ DCA Water and Sewer Bill
Assistance Available
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Launch of the Access Link
Rider’s Choice Pilot (ALRC)
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CDFI Equitable Recovery Program (CDFI ERP)
Grants $1.73B to 603 CDFIs Nationwide
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New HUD Brief on Pro-Housing
Land Use and Zoning Reforms
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A New Resource Online for Transgender
and Non-Binary New Jerseyans
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Newark City Council Approves Ordinance Requiring Landlords Register All Rental Units
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Fair Housing Act Turns 55
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New Jersey Legislative Disability Caucus
Housing Roundtable Discussion
April 25, 2023
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Register Now!
2023 Spring Tax Credit & Fair Housing Training
May 18-19, 2023
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CAU Internship Program Helps Union
and Essex County Students with Disabilities Build for their Futures
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CSH 2023 Community Housing Asset Mapping:
A Health Center Learning Collaborative
Resources & Events
Solving for Homelessness Among
Older Adults, People with Disabilities,
and Other Populations:
An HSRC Case Study Webinar
April 18, 2023
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NEW DATE! Webinar: Housing Supports
For Older Adults Experiencing Homelessness
April 19, 2023
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Webinar for Organizations on Navigating Medicaid Redetermination and End
of the Public Health Emergency
April 19, 2023
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Community Housing with Supports for People
with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities
April 20, 2023
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Virtual Workshop on
Cultural Humility, Equity &
Inclusivity in Strategic Planning
April 20, 2023
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Older Adult Mental Health
Awareness Day Symposium
May 11, 2023
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PLAN NJ Person-Centered Life Planning:
Securing the Future for People with Disabilities
May 16, 2023
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Next SHA
Developers Meeting
May 8, 2023
Virtual
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Next SHA
Members Meeting
June 7, 2023
In-Person, Trenton
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Register Today
NJAMHAA
Spring Conference 2023: Transcending Today, Transforming Tomorrow!
April 25 – 26, 2023
Edison, NJ
Click here to register
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Registration Open
HCDNNJ Summit
Healthy Homes & Communities Summit
April 28
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Registration is now open for the 2023 Law & Disability Conference!
May 4th from 9am-1pm Annual FREE Law & Disability Conference hosted by the New Jersey Bar Foundation.
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Abilities Expo
NJ Convention Center, Edison
May 5, 6 & 7
(11-5 F, Sa; 11-4 Su)
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Join HUD’s 2023 Innovative Housing Showcase! The Showcase is a three-day HUD event on June 9-11, 2023, on the National Mall between 4th St and 7th St. The event will be open to the public and free of charge.
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LeadingAge New Jersey & Delaware
Annual Meeting + Expo
June 20-22, 2023
Atlantic City
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Save the Date!
SHA's 25th Annual Conference
November 3, 2023
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Triple C Housing has just added new jobs to their careers page.
You can learn more and apply for roles including:
- Registered Nurse
- LPN Manager
- Residential Counselor/Certified Nursing Assistant
- Community Support Specialist
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SHA Welcomes New & Returning
Members In 2023
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NJ Office of Homelessness Prevention (OHP)
Announces Document Access and Support
for Housing (DASH) Request for Proposals
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Here is a new grant opportunity aimed at accelerating housing outcomes for persons experiencing homelessness in New Jersey that were recently selected in the HCV lottery. Please distribute this notice widely to your networks and entities affiliated with your organizations.
The Office of Homelessness Prevention (OHP) has announced the Document Access and Support for Housing (DASH) Request for Proposals (RFP) (see attached). Applications for this grant program are due by 11:59 pm on 5/26/23 via DCA SAGE.
The DASH RFP is designed to offer vital services to individuals experiencing homelessness or housing instability in New Jersey who have been recently selected in the HCV lottery. The services include:
- Application assistance and documentation for Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) lottery selectees with homelessness or other preferences on their pre-application.
- Housing preparation case management, such as housing stabilization plans, barrier identification, credit and criminal history assessments, budgeting, and linkage to relevant support systems and benefits.
- Collaboration and coaching for HCV applicants throughout the entire process, including application preparation and connection with DCA Field Office Housing Navigation staff.
- Support for DCA Field Office housing navigation services, focusing on participants with complex housing histories or multiple barriers to tenancy.
We recommend attending a Technical Assistance (TA) session for all organizations thinking of applying in order to prepare a robust application. Organizations may sign up for the session on May 3rd or May 10th.
For more information on the DASH RFP, please visit DCA SAGE at: https://dcasage.intelligrants.com/RFPMailingRequest_List.asp.
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DMHAS RFP: Substance Use Disorder
Peer Recovery Specialists for Residential Treatment
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Title: Substance Use Disorder Peer Recovery Specialists for Residential Treatment
This Request for Proposals (RFP) is issued by the New Jersey Department Human Services (DHS), Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) for substance use disorder (SUD) residential treatment agencies contracted by DMHAS to hire Peer Recovery Specialists to provide non-clinical assistance and recovery supports services to individuals in SUD residential treatment. Total annualized funding is $5M subject to federal appropriations. This RFP is funded by the Federal Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant COVID-19 Supplement and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The DMHAS is making approximately 65 awards, depending upon demand, of up to $75,000 annually to support the hiring of a Peer Recovery Specialist to work in residential services. Funding is available for two years. This includes inpatient withdrawal management, short-term and long-term residential, and halfway house. Agencies can request one peer for each different level of care they provide at a given site.
No Mandatory Bidders Conference.
Intent to Apply / DHS SFTP Login Credentials Due Date – no later than 4:00 p.m. ET on April 27, 2023
Proposal Due Date – no later than 4:00 p.m. ET on May 4, 2023
Notify Date – June 8, 2023
Click here for the RFP
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Launch of the Access Link Rider’s Choice Pilot (ALRC) | |
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Access Link Riders’ Choice Pilot is the safe, easy, and flexible alternative to Access Link. The program offers Access Link customers the opportunity to allow Access Link to move some of their rides to transportation network companies. Access Link is starting with Lyft and Uber Spring of 2023.
When a customer’s ride is moved to one of the Access Link Riders’ Choice Pilot providers, the customer’s fare is the same as it was with Access Link. The customer may even get to enjoy a faster, more direct ride to their destination.
If you choose to join the Access Link Rider’s Choice Pilot program,, you will continue to call Access Link to make ride reservations. Access Link will decide whether your ride will be moved to one of the Access Link Riders’ Choice Pilot providers or remain with Access Link. If the ride is moved, you will receive a text message and/or phone call from the Access Link Rider’s Choice Pilot provider. If the ride remains on Access Link, you will receive the normal Access Link reminder call.
Important Information to Know about the ALRC Pilot:
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You must be a certified Access Link customer. For information on applying for Access Link service click here.
- Your EZ-Wallet account cannot have a negative balance.
- Joining the pilot program does not guarantee that any of your Access Link reservations will be moved to an Access Link Riders’ Choice Pilot provider.
- When booking an Access Link ride, you should always be prepared to be serviced by Access Link and pay the Access Link fare.
- ALRC pilot providers offer origin-to-destination service like Access Link.
- Right now, there is no limit to how many rides you can take with the transportation network companies in this pilot.
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The ALRC pilot providers will only travel within the service area, which is still ¾ mile from a local fixed route bus.
- ALRC pilot operators are not required to carry customer bags or luggage. They will assist with securing items, boarding, and exiting the vehicle.
- ALRC pilot operators will wait the same 5 minutes as the Access Link operators for customers to board and are not required to wait with a customer for a “hand-off” at their destination.
- You are free to express your preferred Access Link Riders’ Choice Pilot provider, but there is no guarantee all your Access Link Riders’ Choice Pilot rides will be serviced by your preferred provider.
For more information about Access Link Riders’ Choice Pilot, contact Customer Service by emailing adaservices@njtransit.com or calling 973-491-4224, option 5.
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CDFI Equitable Recovery Program (CDFI ERP)
Grants $1.73B to 603 CDFIs Nationwide
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The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) recently awarded over $1.73 billion in CDFI Equitable Recovery Program (CDFI ERP) grants to 603 CDFIs nationwide. Funded by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, the CDFI ERP is intended to strengthen the ability of certified CDFIs to help low- and moderate-income communities recover from the pandemic. These grants will allow CDFIs to expand lending, grant-making and investment activities in low- to moderate-income communities and to borrowers with significant unmet capital and financial services needs that have experienced disproportionate economic impacts from the pandemic. The program is also designed to help expand the capacity of certified CDFIs to carry out equitable recovery activities. Under this funding, Enterprise Community Loan Fund (ECLF), our CDFI, was awarded $3.7 million to support equitable financial recovery from the pandemic.
SHA congratulates our member New Jersey Community Capital for being a recipient of one of these awards.
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New HUD Brief on Pro-Housing
Land Use and Zoning Reforms
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HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) released a new brief, titled Pro-Housing Land Use and Zoning Reforms. This land use and zoning-focused brief is the inaugural issue of PD&R’s new Policy & Practice publication, which is intended to share innovative solutions to help local policymakers and practitioners address housing and community development challenges. The brief summarizes the effects of restrictive land use policies on housing supply, location and affordability. It also highlights a set of innovative reforms that state and local governments can adopt to increase their housing supply. These reforms include allowing missing middle and larger multifamily development by-right (through a streamlined ministerial review process, compared to a lengthy and complex discretionary review process), enabling adaptive reuse and conversions, and supporting equitable transit-oriented development.
For related content, Enterprise Community Partners has a research paper on barriers and opportunities to creating low-density multifamily housing.
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A new, one-stop hub can help members of New Jersey's transgender and non-binary community find information about essential programs and services.
The Transgender Information Hub at Transgender.NJ.gov contains information such as how to change a name, acquire legal assistance, obtain mental health and medical support, learn about rights and legal protections, and more. As New Jerseyans and community stakeholders provide feedback, the site will be updated and further enhanced.
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Newark City Council Approves Ordinance Requiring Landlords Register All Rental Units | |
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The Newark City Council has approved an ordinance requiring landlords to register all rental units, addressing the issue of the significant number of unregistered units that are often neglected and overlooked.
The ordinance passed on Wednesday requires landlords to register rental units with the city’s Department of Economic and Housing Development (EHD). The measure requires every currently rented unit in Newark to be registered within 120 days of its adoption.
Under this legislation, the city will gain up-to-date contact information for landlords and tenants. This data will facilitate communications among the landlords, their tenants and the city to remedy code violations, address property neglect, and provide timely responses for emergencies, including unsafe situations and utility problems.
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Fair Housing Act Turns 55 | |
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This week saw the 55th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on April 11, 1968. The Fair Housing Act made housing discrimination unlawful and required state and local jurisdictions to take action to “affirmatively further fair housing” (AFFH) by promoting fair housing choice and fostering inclusive communities to ensure that all neighborhoods had equitable access to high-quality schools, healthy food, clean air and water, reliable transportation, quality healthcare facilities, and other resources and amenities. The act also required state and local jurisdictions to take action to undo historic patterns of segregation and other types of discrimination that resulted in the creation of racially segregated, under-resourced communities that have persisted to this day. Decades on, recent efforts at the federal level have helped simplify the fair housing analysis process while holding communities accountable for addressing racial inequities and advancing equity.
For all of this progress, New Jersey still holds major divides in racial and economic terms and more efforts will be needed to address these needs. SHA joins with partners at The Network and National Low Income Housing Coalition along with advocates working to make all New Jersey communities accessible and welcoming to all.
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New Jersey Legislative Disability Caucus
Housing Roundtable Discussion
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The New Jersey Legislative Disability Caucus invites you to our Housing Roundtable on Tuesday, April 25 starting at 12:00 pm ET.
Click here to register for the Housing Roundtable
The NJ Legislative Disability Caucus serves as a bipartisan forum within the New Jersey Legislature for lawmakers and their staff to consider the impact on the disability community when shaping ALL public policies in the Garden State through increased awareness and a greater understanding of the complexities of the disabilities service system and issues affecting individuals with disabilities and their families.
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Register Now!
2023 Spring Tax Credit & Fair Housing Training
May 18-19, 2023
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New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency is pleased to sponsor a two-day Tax Credit & Fair Housing Training May 18-19, 2023 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Hamilton, NJ.
This training is a 2-day refresher course which may be more suitable for those who are already Tax Credit Certified.
Certified Tax Credit Professionals will earn 2023 continuing education credits to satisfy the minimum requirement of six (6) hours annually.
Event Details
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Thursday, May 18th – Tax Credit Training
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Friday, May 19th – Tax Credit & Fair Housing Training
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Location: Hilton Garden Inn - Hamilton, 800 US Highway 130, Hamilton, NJ 08691
Event Fees
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Tax Credit with Fair Housing Training: $430.00
Click here to register
PAYMENT METHOD: CREDIT CARD PAYMENT ONLY
Registration ends on April 28, 2023.
REFUND POLICY: No refunds
If you have any questions, please contact Johanna Peña at jpena@njhmfa.gov.
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CAU Internship Program Helps Union and Essex County Students with Disabilities Build for their Futures | |
For students with disabilities, that opportunity to start work is harder to come by: the jobless rate for people with disabilities is about twice as high as the rate for those without a disability. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rates for persons with a disability was 7.6 percent compared to 3.5 percent for those without a disability in 2022. Community Access Unlimited (CAU), a SHA member, is working to change the narrative for students in Union and Essex counties who have a disability to help them transition to a more independent adulthood. | |
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CSH 2023 Community Housing Asset Mapping:
A Health Center Learning Collaborative
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Are you interested in learning more about housing and the homeless response system in your community?
Join CSH's 2023 Housing Asset Mapping Learning Collaborative to learn what resources are available to you and your patients, how to navigate the housing system and learn from national best practices in health and housing partnerships.
Through a series of virtual sessions and peer discussion, the Community Housing Asset Mapping Learning Collaborative will serve as a forum for health centers to gain knowledge, exchange expertise and solutions to challenges related to accessing housing resources for homeless, at-risk of homeless patients, and vulnerable patients. You will learn about local housing resources and systems that support those with housing needs in a community; different housing models and which best support patients based on their needs, and how to create needed health and housing partnerships to support patients.
Expected Outcomes/Learning Objectives for Participants:
- Increased understanding of how the homeless response system is structured.
- Build awareness of federal, state, and local housing programs, eligibility, and how to access them.
- Develop an asset map of local housing resources and programs.
- Discuss levels of health and housing partnerships that the health center can engage in.
Click here to apply
Session Dates & Overview:
Wednesday May 3, 2023
Understanding the homeless response system
Wednesday May 10, 2023
Rental subsidy programs and resources for special populations
Wednesday May 17, 2023
Housing and service models
Wednesday May 24, 2023
Beyond Mapping: Strategies for broader housing solutions
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Resources & Virtual Forums | |
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Solving for Homelessness among Older Adults,
People with Disabilities, and Other Populations:
An HSRC Case Study Webinar
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Tuesday, April 18, 2023 | 3:00-4:00 PM ET
Homelessness for individuals is solvable when systems that support housing, health, and community living work together to address housing instability. This Housing and Services Resource Center (HSRC) webinar features a model collaboration in a county with high rates of homelessness. Together, the regional task force on homelessness (which serves as the Continuum of Care); the county government division on aging and independence services and divisions on health; and other community-based organizations developed a coordinated approach to reducing homelessness among a population that each had been separately serving.
Webinar participants will learn, and can ask questions, about:
- Steps that these local partners took to begin and sustain their partnership — even through challenging times.
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Replicable strategies to create bridges across systems so individuals can have both housing without precondition and access to self-directed or person-centered comprehensive services that they choose.
- Improvements in housing stability made possible by leveraging each sector’s strengths and expertise.
The webinar also includes a roadmap on the initial four aspects of planning cross-sector solutions to housing and homelessness. The final third of the webinar is reserved for participants’ questions.
Registrants will receive a confirmation email with information about joining the webinar. The webinar will include real-time captioning and ASL interpreting. Everyone who registers by 9:00 AM ET on April 18 will receive a Zoom reminder email that contains links to the slides, accessibility tips, and other handouts. If you need any additional accommodations, or if you have questions, please send an email to HSRC@acl.hhs.gov.
This webinar is part of an HSRC series on partnerships between systems so older adults, people with disabilities, and people experiencing homelessness can access all resources and ultimately have stable housing in the community.
Click here to register for the webinar
Launched in partnership between the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Housing and Urban Development, the Housing and Services Resource Center fosters cross-sector partnerships between the organizations and systems that provide housing resources and homelessness services, health care and mental health services, independent living services, and other supportive services. The HSRC is part of an interagency initiative to streamline and expand access to affordable, accessible housing and the critical services that make community living possible.
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NEW DATE! Webinar: Housing Supports
For Older Adults Experiencing Homelessness
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April 19, 2023 | 2:00-3:30pm ET
This webinar was originally scheduled for March 22 but will be rescheduled for April 19 to accommodate panelists. We apologize for any inconvenience. Those who have already registered should receive a message from Zoom.
Webinar Description:
People experiencing homelessness disproportionately experience a high burden of chronic illness, substance use disorders, and mental illness, which hasten the onset of conditions associated with aging. Shelter systems struggle to meet the needs of older unhoused adults, and existing housing systems are not designed to support individuals who need assistance with activities of daily living or experience cognitive impairment. Existing community resources for seniors often have age limits that exclude those that could otherwise benefit based on functional need. The lack of adequate shelter, housing, and supportive services results in continued homelessness, and individuals often cycle through services that are not equipped to address their needs. This webinar will present an overview of factors impacting older adults experiencing homelessness and share strategies to support their housing needs.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe unique considerations affecting older adults experiencing homelessness.
- Identify 2-3 promising practices to support older adults experiencing homelessness as they transition into housing.
- Discuss 2-3 strategies to address the needs of older adults experiencing homelessness within the community.
This webinar will be recorded and ASL and live captioning will be provided. Certificates of participation will be provided to those who complete a post-event evaluation, but no CEUs are included in this event.
Click here to register for this webinar
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Webinar for Organizations on Navigating Medicaid Redetermination and End of the Public Health Emergency | |
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Wednesday, April 19th | 3:00pm
Representatives from the US Dept. of Health and Human Services and the NJ Dept. of Human Services are joining NJ Citizen Action for a webinar on the best practices for community organizations to help the people they serve to navigate the Medicaid redetermination process and the ending of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency in May of 2023.
The webinar will be moderated by Laura Waddell, NJCA Health Care Program Director.
Speakers include:
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Dr. Dara Kass, HHS Regional Dir. Region 2 - Ending of the PHE and what we need to know
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Jennifer Jacobs, NJDHS Asst. Commissioner, Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services - Ending of Continuous NJ FamilyCare Eligibility and what we need to know
Please share with other organizations who may be interested. This event is not for the public to attend, only organizations who serve the public or their own members. A public-facing webinar will be held soon afterward, more information on that coming later.
Organizations may click here to register.
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Community Housing with Supports for People
with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities
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Thursday, April 20 | 12:00 - 1:00 PM EST
Join a webinar with SHA's own Executive Director, Diane Riley, on Community and Housing Supports for People with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities.
Learn what supportive housing is, who needs it and how to make it work for you or a loved one with I/DD. This webinar will highlight a range of housing options; feature resources and budget considerations, and funding streams to help create more housing options for people with a variety of disabilities.
Click here to register.
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Virtual Workshop on
Cultural Humility, Equity & Inclusivity in Strategic Planning
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DMHAS would like to inform all licensed providers of a virtual northern regional technical assistance leadership workshop hosted by Culture Connections/Family Connections. This workshop is designed to inform and create dialogue around what cultural humility, equity and inclusivity look like in strategic planning. The workshop details are below:
Technical Assistance Leadership Workshop
Date: April 20, 2023
Time:10:00am-12:00pm
Location: Zoom
Click here for the Zoom Registration link
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Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day Symposium | |
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The National Council on Aging, in collaboration with the U.S. Administration for Community Living, the Health Resources and Services Administration, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, will host the 6th Annual Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day Symposium on Thursday, May 11, 2023, from 10:00a.m. – 5:00p.m. ET. This all-day, virtual event is free and will feature several sessions on how to best meet the mental health needs of older adults.
For more information or to register, please visit the event page.
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Person-Centered Life Planning:
Securing the Future for People with Disabilities
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May 16, 2023 | 06:30 PM ET
The purpose of this workshop is to educate families who have a loved one with a significant disability about the importance of planning for the individual’s future support. Planned Lifetime Assistance Network of NJ (PLAN/NJ), a SHA Member, will guide families in this legal and estate planning and life-long support process to answer the question, “Who will care for my loved one when I am gone?”
Description: This session will address future planning issues such as independent living supports; estate planning, legal and financial protections. Topics include how to implement a future life plan for people with disabilities, Guardianship and Supported Decision Making, Special Needs Trusts, and ABLE accounts. Handouts will be provided to families to highlight the topics of the session.
Our presenter will be: Jason Miller, Director of Social Services, Planned Lifetime Assistance Network of NJ (PLAN/NJ)
***Multilingual live captioning is available in this meeting. For the list of available languages, please go to: www.wordly.ai/language-interpretation.***
Click here to register for this webinar
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There are many great ways of supporting SHA: Join as a member or send donations.
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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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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