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FY24 Budget Signed by the Governor Includes Millions in New Money to Support People with IDD | |
 |  | On Friday evening, the Senate and Assembly passed, and then Governor Murphy signed the Fiscal Year 2024 State Budget which includes hundreds of millions in new money to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. In addition to the many items that the Governor included in his original proposal, (detailed further down in this update), the Legislature, in response to our advocacy, added funding to increase the behavioral rates within the fee-for-service system. Language in the budget indicates that the behavioral supports assessment/plan development rate was increased to $22.05 for each 15 minutes and the behavioral supports monitoring rate was increased to $8.26 for each 15 minutes. The previous rates were $19.60 and $7.34 respectively. Furthermore, it appears the Legislature added $3 million to the existing $72 million in state and federal funding proposed by the Governor for the across-the-board rate increase. To read the full update, click here.
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The Arc of NJ Celebrates Award Winners | |
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The Arc of New Jersey honored tremendous community members, partners and legislators at the organization’s annual Award Celebration on June 6, at the Imperia in Somerset. This event is an opportunity to highlight and thank the incredible individuals, organizations and corporations who support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities across the State.“The 2023 honorees bring something truly remarkable to the table. They give of themselves: their time, their resources and their heart, not because it will improve their own lives, but because it will improve the lives of others. These individuals and organizations go above and beyond to help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities lead the best lives possible in all regions of New Jersey,” Tom Baffuto, The Arc of NJ’s Executive Director, said. To continue reading, and for the full list of award winners, click here. Additional photos from the event can be found here.
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NJ Irish Festival Proceeds Benefit The Arc of NJ
The Arc of NJ thanks the organizers of the NJ Irish Festival for selecting our organization as their charity this year. The event, held on June 11, at Monmouth Park Racetrack, was a super fun day and a wonderful chance to enjoy great Irish music, step-dancing, Irish food and crafts, and more! We also thank Matt Brady, from The Arc of Ocean County, who represented us and ran in the "Human Horse" race. Additional photos can be viewed here.
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Tom Baffuto Honored with Legacy of Advocacy Award at The Arc of Essex County's 75th Anniversary Gala | |
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The Arc of New Jersey's Executive Director Tom Baffuto was honored at the 75th Anniversary Gala hosted by The Arc of Essex County, on June 15. Tom received the Legacy of Advocacy Award for the tremendous work he does on behalf of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. Congratulations to Tom!
We also congratulate The Arc of Essex County on this incredible milestone and we are grateful for all they've done for people with IDD and their families over the past 75 years.
Pictured right: Tom Baffuto, The Arc of NJ's Executive Director, and Linda Lucas, Chief Executive Officer at The Arc of Essex County.
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Chapters & Supporters 'Step Up' Across NJ | |
The Arc of Salem County held their Step Up for The Arc Walk on Saturday, June 3, at Riverview Beach Park in Pennsville. The Arc of New Jersey's Associate Executive Director Celine Fortin is pictured above with representatives from the local county Chapter. Congratulations on a wonderful event! | |  |
Congratulations to The Arc of Gloucester County on their 5K Run, Walk & Family Fun Day which was held in West Deptford on Saturday, June 3. Pictured left to right is The Arc Gloucester's Chief Executive Officer Lisa Conley, Gerri Baffuto, The Arc Gloucester's Treasurer Pam Corrigan, and The Arc of NJ's Executive Director Tom Baffuto. | | |
The Arc of NJ Attends Special Olympics Opening Ceremony | The Arc of New Jersey's Executive Director Tom Baffuto was honored to attend the Special Olympics Opening Ceremony at the College of New Jersey on Friday, June 9. We congratulate all of the participating athletes involved in Special Olympics. Pictured from left to right: Carmen Bannon, Chief Community Affairs Officer at Special Olympics NJ, Maria Fischer and Paul Prior from Hinkle, Prior & Fischer, Tom Baffuto, Executive Director at The Arc of New Jersey, and Kathy Rhead, Associate Executive Director at The Arc Mercer. | | |
The Arc of Atlantic Hosts Celebrate! Event in AC | Congratulations to The Arc of Atlantic County on their Celebrate! event which took place at The Deck at the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City on Thursday, June 1. The evening included live entertainment and dancing, a silent auction a 50/50 raffle and more! Funds raised from the event will go toward resources, programs and services for individuals with IDD and their families served by the Chapter. | | |
Monmouth Chapter Hosts Annual Meeting & Awards Event, Ocean Chapter Cuts Ribbon on New Offices in Brick | | | |
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The Arc of Monmouth County hosted their 2023 Annual Meeting and Arc Awards celebration on June 20, at the Middletown Arts Center. The event is an opportunity for the Chapter to show appreciation for the very deserving staff members who are part of the organization. Pictured from left to right: The Arc of Monmouth's Executive Director Robert Angel, First Vice President Joyce Nunziata, Outgoing President Lauren Zalepka, and The Arc of NJ's Executive Director Tom Baffuto. | On June 22, The Arc of Ocean County welcomed program participants, family members and community supporters to celebrate the grand opening of their Mantoloking Road administrative offices and state of the art vocational program. The event included a ribbon cutting ceremony and building tours. The Arc of NJ's Executive Director Tom Baffuto was honored to attend! | | |
Summer Webinars with the New Jersey Self-Advocacy Project | |
Summer is upon us, but you can still sign up for the Stay Healthy at Home webinars and Healthy Lifestyles Project LIVE! events happening throughout July. Registration links for Stay Healthy at Home can be found here. This webinar series covers a variety of topics related to advocacy, life skills, employment, and civic engagement. Sessions are designed to be accessible to self-advocates, parents, and support staff. Live viewers can share comments, ask questions, and access resources. Live transcription is available. Healthy Lifestyles Project LIVE! events can be found here. This interactive series of events is hosted by the NJ Self-Advocacy Project and focuses on activities to promote health and wellness education for students and adults with IDD. Live viewers will be able to share comments, ask questions, and participate in activities led by professionals in real time.
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Important Information for SSI Beneficiaries | |
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It has come to our attention that the Social Security Administration (SSA) has been doing some audits, on a random basis, of the resources (i.e., bank accounts and any other assets) of people who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) -- and this includes people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who receive SSI. As you probably know, individuals who receive SSI cannot have more than $2,000 in resources, and married couples cannot have more than $3,000 in resources. This resource limit is applicable when caregivers for individuals with IDD are submitting an application for SSI as well as in the future. It is very important for family members and representative payees to check the bank accounts (and any other resources or assets) for persons who receive SSI on a monthly basis to be certain that individuals with IDD are not exceeding the allowable resource maximum. For more information, click here.
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