This is a general term used to describe the programs and activities that individuals participate in for up to 25 to 35 hours per week. They are the backbone of the system that serves individuals with developmental disabilities.
To participate in DDD-funded day services an individual must be:
- DDD eligible
- at least 21 years old, and
- have completed their educational entitlement
- already taken advantage of any other day program options such as those offered by DVRS, Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CBVI), the Division of Mental Health Services (DMHS) or the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS), which administers Adult Day Health Services.
Clarification of Day Services Policy for Individuals Currently Seeking Services - March 2010
There is no change from past practice concerning the process by which DDD-eligible individuals who are now in need of day services may request and receive them.
Day services should continue to be requested through the ordinary course: through one’s case manager, through the DDD Community Services office that serves the county in which one lives, or, if one is assigned to the Division of Disability Services, by speaking with an I&R specialist.
Day Services Description & Workshops
Day services allow individuals to remain active outside their home and develop social relationships with others. They also provide families and caregivers with time to pursue their own interests and activities, including a job.
Individuals of any age can participate in day services. DDD recognizes, however, that young people who are completing their educational entitlement, and their families, have a particular interest in day service options.
For that reason, DDD provides two workshops, in conjunction with the Family Support Center of New Jersey, for young people and their families that are intended to help them make the transition to adulthood. These workshops – Pathways to Adult Life, for students between 14 and 19, and Life after 21, for students between 19 and 21 – are in addition to a workshop called Life Line for the Journey, which is designed for families with children from birth to age 14.
Pathways to Adult Life and Life after 21, provide families with helpful, important information about adult services and day service options. Life after 21 also includes a feature called the “Provider Marketplace,” which offers families an opportunity to meet with representatives of agencies that provide day services.
Questions?
Please forward any inquiries and/or requests for access to technical assistance to dp-se@dhs.state.nj.us.
Different types of Day Services
There are many ways an individual can participate in day services. These include:
- regular employment
- a traditional day program
- a special needs day program
- a self-directed day program
- a combination of part-time employment and a traditional program
- a combination of part-time employment and a self-directed day program
- a combination of a traditional day program and self-directed activities
Employment for individuals with developmental disabilities
DDD counsels individuals who are interested in employment to first approach the New Jersey Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (DVRS). (Individuals currently enrolled in a day program may also take advantage of this opportunity at any time.) DVRS is a valuable resource for people with developmental disabilities because:
- DVRS is federally mandated to assist individuals with disabilities who are seeking employment.
- If DVRS believes it can help an individual, it will provide a range of services, including a job coach. The goal is to help the graduate compete for, secure and maintain employment in the regular job market.
- DVRS services include sheltered workshops, where individuals receive work-related training, such as learning how to package and assemble products, as well as job counseling and job referrals.
DVRS will do an assessment to determine if it can assist the individual.
Day Services funded by DDD
DDD can provide day services, for up to 30 to 35 hours per week, for:
- Individuals who have no interest in regular employment
- Individuals who secure less than full-time employment through DVRS and want to fill their week with other activities
In general, DDD provides three different types of day services, traditional day programs, special needs programs and self-directed day programs.
- Traditional day programs
- operate year round (at least 230 days/year)
- provide a structured day, five hours a day, five days a week, although hours vary
- provide transportation within a defined geographic area
- have a 1:6 staff to consumer ratio
- examples of day program activities include:
- arts and crafts
* activities of daily living
* volunteer activities in the community
* contract work with a crew of peers
* pre-employment skill training
* socializationrecreational activities
- Special Needs Programs
- closely resemble traditional day programs
- provide enhanced staff supports, with a typical staff-to-consumer ratio of 1:3
- may offer related support services such as nursing, behavioral supports or mental health supports.
- Self-directed day services
- allow individuals to help identify their own activities
- allow individuals to schedule their own activities
- require some involvement by family and/or friends
- include assistance in researching, planning and making connections from a Support Coordinator
- begin with an assessment completed by phone
- assign a budget that individuals can use to obtain services
