To: Individuals, Families and Stakeholders of the Division of Developmental Disabilities
RE: DDD GUIDANCE: DAY PROGRAM CLOSURES & DISCONTINUED COMMUNITY OUTINGS RELATED TO COVID-19
Dear Individuals, Families and Stakeholders:
The highest priority of the Division of Developmental Disabilities is the health and safety of the individuals we serve. Early information on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) suggests that older adults and people with chronic or underlying health conditions have a heightened risk of getting very sick if they become infected. An important step to preventing the spread of COVID-19 is to eliminate large groups of people congregating together.
For this reason, DDD is calling for immediate actions to help prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
No later than Tuesday, March 17, all Division-funded, facility-based day services have been directed to close until advised otherwise.
Additionally, the Division has directed that
community outings
facilitated by providers that are not for the health or safety of an individual
should be discontinued immediately.
The immediate health and safety of the individuals we serve are our top priority, and we are committed to working with our individuals, their families, and provider community to identify the best available solutions to keep individuals safe.
We recognize that this guidance will raise immediate questions about service delivery and reimbursement. The Division will provide additional details over the weekend, but we wanted to get this message to you all as quickly as possible. This is an evolving situation, we will stay in touch often, and we encourage stakeholders to monitor state and national public health websites for the most up-to-date information and guidance.
Thank you.
Jonathan Seifried
Assistant Commissioner
New Jersey Department of Human Services
Division of Developmental Disabilities
