A Brief History of the NJAFP
1. Dec. 21, 2004 Formation of the NJAFP
2. June 21, 2005 NJAFP Public Forum to discuss full community inclusion for persons with developmental and intellectual disabilities. During this forum, three break-out sessions were held for attendees focusing on:
I. Leadership: Where will the next generation of individual, organizational, advocacy and community leadership come from?
II. Community Membership and Self Determination: Building communities that welcome and support people with disabilities.
III. Enhancing the Quality of Supports and Services: Upgrading the workforce and establishing performance expectations.
3. Out of the Public Forum, The White Paper Key Issues for People with Disabilities in New Jersey was created outlining and prioritizing steps towards enacting full community inclusion. Some of the Key Outcomes included:
a. Professionalizing the field of direct support workers (increased pay scale, benefits, better training, and career paths.)
b. Real jobs at livable wages.
c. Transportation.
d. Affordable, accessible housing.
e. Flexible services that can change as the person’s needs change
f. Supporting people with disabilities and family members to become more politically involved.
g. Letting people know what services are available and how to get those services.
4. September 8, 2009 NJAFP Planning Committee meeting to outline format of larger steering committee as a result of the National AFP 2009 Announcement of its new campaign, “Real Jobs – It’s Everybody’s Business,” and its goal of doubling the employment rate for people with developmental disabilities by 2015.
5. October 16, 2009 DDLS with National AFP Board member Karen Flippo with subsequent DDLS Afternoon Planning Forum for NJAFP members.
6. January 19, 2010 first Full meeting of the NJAFP Steering Committee. The mission of the NJAFP was discussed and disseminated to members. Out of this meeting and group discussion, the six outcomes the group would like to focus on for future collaboration as well as to establish a working direction for the group was created.
a. Mission of the NJAFP:
i. The New Jersey AFP will work to establish employment opportunities for people with significant, early-onset intellectual or developmental disabilities. New Jersey AFP also will work to expand employment opportunities by broadening the definition of "candidates" for supported employment to include people with more severe disabilities, ASDs, and problem behaviors.
ii. NJAFP will work to establish employment for individuals associated with Olmstead efforts.
iii. NJAFP will work to establish employment for students either in or exiting secondary education.
iv. NJAFP will work to establish employment for individuals transitioning to community life in New Jersey.
b. The Six Outcomes:
i. Defining significant, early-onset disabilities and ascertaining specifics about why this group has not had more access to employment opportunities.
ii. Transition from school to adult life withtwo secondary themes: 1. Involving families in the process as soon as possible in order to raise their expectations to create a work culture. 2. Create State-wide improvement in the transition process with access to career development.
iii. Understanding the needs of Business relative to their employment needs and relating that back to a need for non-profits to utilize Marketing,changing the mind-set of job development in particular to being employer driven.
iv. Assisting DDD with formulating its employment policy with examination of the current employment systems we are accustomed to and finding ways to either augment those systems with different practices or creating new systems.
v. Developing "soft skills" for workers with disabilities.
vi. A need to educate and involve self advocates.
7. February 19, 2010 Understanding the Needs of Business Breakfast and Information Session hosted Jointly by NJAFP, NTAR Leadership Center and the Division of Disability Services with a lecture by Presentation by Mary Alice Mowry, MSSW, Minnesota’s Director of Pathways to Employment. Her discussion topic focused on how she successfully led the Minnesota state team to create employment opportunities for people with disabilities through economic development initiatives and partner with the business community. Special thanks to both William A.B. Ditto and Kathy Krepcio of the Heldrich Center for hosting and collaboration.
8. April 16, 2010 DDLS presented by Meg Grigal, with subsequent DDLS Afternoon Planning Forum for NJAFP members.
9. September 22, 2010 NJAFP Steering Committee Meeting with focus on Employment First policy in New Jersey.
10. November 9, 2010 Developmental Disabilities Lecture Series and afternoon forum with Wendy Parent, PhD. Topic: transition from school to work.
11. November 10, 2010 Jointly sponsored NJAFP/Great Raritan Valley WIB one day training on work incentives.
12. Upcoming Event: April 14, 2011 Jointly sponsored NJAFP/Mercer County WIB one day training on work incentives.