DDAN Employment Workgroup

In 2017, the New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities (NJCDD) and partners hosted a summit which established the Developmental Disabilities Advocacy Network (DDAN), with the goal of advocating for improved delivery of disability services, including employment supports.

The primary goal of the DDAN employment workgroup is to expand opportunities and services for competitive integrated employment (CIE), available to all individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), including those with significant and complex support needs and those who are multiply marginalized.

Members of the workgroup include individuals with I/DD, their families, service providers, researchers, and state partners. Our members bring a unique combination of lived and professional experiences to discuss employment policies and practices and offer suggestions for improvement. We are well versed in how the DDD and DVRS employment services are delivered. In short, members of the DDAN employment workgroup, located statewide, are positioned to collaborate with state partners to achieve positive systems change.

The workgroup’s most significant achievement thus far has been the expansion of NJ WorkAbility. The 2022 WorkAbility legislation removed limits on assets, earned and unearned incomes, and the upper age of the program’s enrollees, while allowing continued coverage of Medicaid benefits following a job loss for one year.  Consequently, working New Jerseyans with disabilities who qualify for WorkAbility are no longer forced to choose between pursuing their career goals and continued Medicaid eligibility.

Core-Values

Our Core Values: 

  1. Being disabled should not force anyone to live in poverty.
  2. Competitive integrated employment (CIE) is possible for anyone who desires it, with the right support and services, job match, and reasonable accommodation.
  3. All New Jerseyans who live with disabilities should have access to high-quality services to pursue their employment and career goals.
  4. Direct services should be provided through the lens of independence and the pursuit of employment.

Our Current Focus Areas of Advocacy:

  • DVRS funding of employment services should align with the goal of improving CIE outcomes.
  • Ensuring that maintaining eligibility for Medicaid and Social Security benefits does not  disincentivize employment.
  • Simplification of employment service systems and the dissolution of silos.
  • Ensuring that individuals with complex needs are able to secure necessary employment supports to achieve CIE.

Our Activities:

  • Sharing experiences, and compiling data for policymakers on the following topics:

    • Pre-Employment Transition Services
    • Access to Vocational Rehabilitation Services
    • Implementation of WorkAbility expansion

  • Educating and informing state leadership and policymakers about the following:

    • “State as a Model Employer” (SAME) and “County as a Model Employer” (CAME) initiatives;
    • Access to benefit counseling, including DB101;
    • Opportunities for federal grants and technical assistance.
Our Activities-2

Our meetings are held bi-monthly. If you are interested in participating in any of our meetings and/or becoming a member of the workgroup, please contact Adam Kubler, the Employment Coordinator of the NJCDD at adam.kubler@njcdd.org.