Governor's Council on the Prevention of Developmental Disabilities
OPDD works under the guidance and advice of the Governor’s Council on the Prevention of Developmental Disabilities. The Council consists of twenty-five citizens who are appointed by the Governor.
Council Members
Council members include self-advocates and family members of people with developmental disabilities; physicians, nurses and other allied health professionals; representatives from agencies that provide services to people with developmental disabilities; and the private sector.
In addition, the Commissioners or their designees of the Departments of Human Services, Health and Senior Services, Community Affairs, Education and Environmental Protection, as well as the Secretary of State, are active participants on the Council.
Together, the Governor’s Council on Prevention and the Office for Prevention track and monitor changes in the incidence of developmental disabilities.
The Governor’s Council administers two standing committees:
Interagency Task Force on the Prevention of Lead Poisoning
The Interagency Task Force on the Prevention of Lead Poisoning's mission is to redue childhood lead poisoning, promote lead-safe and health housing, support education and blood lead screening, and to support interagency collaboration. This is accomplished through representatives from State Departments (Health; Human Servicesl Community Affairs; and Environmental Protection) in partnership with regional and local governmental and non-governmental agencies.
More information about and resources for the prevention of lead poisoning can be found at our Get the Lead Out Resource page. The Lead Task Force also serves as the advisory board to the New Jersey Childhood Lead Poisoning Elimination Plan.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and Other Perinatal Addictions Task Force
The mission of the New Jersey Task Force on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and other Perinatal Addictions is to prevent FASD and to promote effective, life-long interventions for those affected by prenatal exposure to alcohol and other substances.
Members of the Task Force include representatives from the State Departments of Human Services and Health and Senior Services, Rutgers University, the Perinatal Addictions System, the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Diagnostic (FASD) Centers, community agencies and family members.
The FASD Task Force tracks and monitors its progress through the evaluation of its strategic plan. The current five year strategic plan, Be in the kNOw, can be reviewed under publications. More information about FASD and other perinatal addictions is available at www.beintheknownj.org.