Township of Union Public Schools

Department of Special Services

1231 Burnet Avenue, Union, NJ 07083

(908) 851-6478 FAX (908) 686-3090

Mrs. Kim Conti Mr. Joseph Seugling Mrs. Kira Baskerville

Director Supervisor Supervisor

______

September 22, 2017

Dear Student/Parent/Guardian:

Hello! This letter will provide you with some information about the “Transition (to Adult Life) Services” available within the Township of Union School District for students with special needs. We, Ms. Sarah McCulloh and Mrs. Vanessa Tuohy, are the Transition Coordinators (TC), housed at Union High School, and we are eager to help you/your child prepare for life after high school. Transition planning begins at the age of 13 and is documented in the student’s Individualized Educational Plan (IEP); at that point, we as TCs, collaborate with the student and their family, Child Study Team (CST) Case Managers, School Counselors, and local/state/federal agencies to ensure a seamless transition to adult life. We encourage you to contact us if you have any questions and/or concerns about any of this information.

In an attempt to provide you with updated information as it becomes available throughout the school year, we now have a Special Services/Transition Website. Here you will find information on Transition-Related Workshops/Trainings/Webinars, New Jersey State Resources for Students with Disabilities, and College/Postsecondary Disability Services. Additional topics will be added throughout the school year, including the announcements to the two annual transition-related trainings offered by the Union County Partnership for Transition. For more information, please visit the Transition Website at: http://www.twpunionschools.org/Special-Services/index.html.

The Township of Union School District has a large number of extra-curricular activities that we encourage our students to consider/attend; a list of these may be found on the website of the student’s home school (UHS/KMS) or by contacting the school directly (BMS). If a student requires any assistance to participate in these groups, please contact your Child Study Team Case Manager. A list of additional community-based recreation resources, specifically those for people with disabilities, may be found on the Special Services/Resources section of the District’s website at http://www.twpunionschools.org/Special-Services/Resources/index.html.

Last year, our Transition Team developed CHOICES (Communities Helping Others in Creating Effective Solutions), a collaborative effort between 13 local districts/businesses. We are pleased to again offer the PFAL (Planning for Adult Life) Presentation Series led by the Arc of NJ. These workshops are designed to provide students and their parents/guardians with information related to Transition Planning, Health/Behavioral Health, Housing, Legal/Financial, Social, Self-Direction and Post-Secondary Education/Employment. The sessions will be held at several locations throughout the region over the course of the school year, including one on Guardianship and Supported Decision Making: Just the Basics, at Union High School on October 25, 2017 at 7:00pm. Please see attached flyer for more information and how to RSVP for each session.

In addition to the above resources, the Family Support Center of NJ (FSCNJ) provides a number of training opportunities including a link to their archived webinars. Please visit their website at http://www.fscnj.org/ to identify a number of transition-related resources available to both children and adults with special needs.

The following resource information, provided by the State of NJ, (DCF, DVRS, DDD), has been grouped here by age/eligibility criteria, and we encourage you to become familiar with the supports and services offered to both children and adults with disabilities.

For All Students Under 21 Years of Age: The Division of Children and Families (DCF)/Perform Care provides support to children/young adults under the age of 21; they may offer a variety of services addressing behavioral health, developmental/intellectual disabilities, and substance abuse. They provide information and referrals, possible financial support for summer day camps, assistive technology, family support, and/or respite services. To begin the application process, please call Perform Care Family Support Services at (877) 652-7624. You will be asked a series of questions about your child’s abilities, and the family’s income/medical insurance; once found eligible, a Care Coordinator will work with you to address your individualized needs. For general information about DCF/Perform Care, you may visit: http://www.performcarenj.org/families/index.aspx. When applying for a determination of eligibility from DCF, please visit: http://www.performcarenj.org/families/disability/determination-eligibility.aspx.

For Students Within Two Years of Graduation: The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (DVRS) may be able to offer vocational supports after graduation from high school including job readiness training, short term assistance of a job coach, and/or financial assistance toward college tuition/continuing education. This agency works with clients to obtain their long-term goal of competitive employment within the community. If the student is within two years of graduation and interested in applying for eligibility, please complete both sides of the last page (double sided) in the attached DVRS packet (the “DVRS Referral Form” and the “Authorization for Release of Information” that must be signed and notarized). This double-sided form may be returned to Ms. Sarah McCulloh in room L112, Union High School. Once received, the student’s application/special services records will then be forwarded to DVRS, and a Vocational Counselor will contact you via mail to set up an eligibility interview. If you have questions and would like to speak with a DVRS representative directly, please contact Ms. Esther Phillip at (908) 965-3940.

For Students 18 Years of Age or Older: The Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) provides support and services to adults, over the age of 21, with developmental disabilities. According to their website, you must be a legal resident of the United States/New Jersey, be Medicaid eligible (and maintain eligibility), and meet the functional criteria for DDD eligibility. In general, to receive Division-funded services, individuals must document that they have a chronic physical and/or mental impairment that manifests in the developmental years, before age 22, is lifelong, and substantially limits them in at least three of these life activities: Self-care, learning, mobility, communication, self-direction, economic self-sufficiency, and/or the ability to live independently. Please note that you may submit your eligibility application to DDD once the student is 18 years of age; however, services will not be provided by DDD until after the age of 21, is receiving Medicaid, and has exhausted their educational entitlement. If you have questions or would like to obtain a copy of the DDD application via mail, please contact Mr. Ron Wasserman, DDD Intake Worker at (908) 226-7800; you may also visit the DDD website to print out the DDD application: http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/ddd/services/apply/.

Once DDD-approved and within the last few months of the student’s final year, you may either choose, or be assigned, a Supports Coordinator who will assist in the development of a meaningful and appropriate postsecondary plan of action; this may include participation in an adult day program, supported employment/follow along services, related therapies, and/or possible help with residential placement, if appropriate. To get an idea of how DDD transitions our students into adult life, please see the “2018 Graduates Aging Out of the School System: Steps to Accessing Services/Supports from the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD)” at: http://www.nj.gov/humanservices/ddd/documents/2018-graduates-aging-out-of-school-system.pdf.

As always, we are happy to talk with you about you/your child’s individual transition to adult life; if you have any specific questions and/or concerns, please contact your Child Study Team (CST) Case Manager, or call us at (908) 851-4431 (S. McCulloh) or (908) 851-6538 (V. Tuohy). We look forward to working with you in the future!

Sincerely,

Sarah A. McCulloh, LSW Vanessa Tuohy, MSW

Transition Coordinator Transition Coordinator