PPL New Jersey Self-Direction Virtual Summit – Summary & Recordings
By PPL on July 18, 2024
Thanks so much for those of you who attended the PPL New Jersey Self-Direction Virtual Summit, our day of learning and exploring all aspects of self-direction!
We were honored to have agency leaders of our three NJ programs: Becky Thomas from the Office of Consumer Directed Services; Jonathan Seifried from NJ Division of Developmental Disabilities; and Jennifer Rutberg from the Division of Aging Services join us for this important event.
We also were thrilled to have key New Jersey legislative leaders in attendance, including Assemblywoman Jessica Ramirez and Senator Angela Mcknight respectively. Ombudsman Paul Aronsohn highlighted the important work that his office does to support self-directed care programs in New Jersey and resolve critical issues for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities and their families.
During our day the learning, our highlight was definitely YOU! We loved hearing from our participants throughout the day in our interactive chats and Q&A sessions. You truly made the day impactful by sharing your own experiences and advice in our Participant Breakout sessions – and reminded all of us why we do what we do every day.
Several key advocate organizations, including Autism New Jersey, Ocean Partnership for Children, ARC of New Jersey and New Jersey Advocates for Aging Well, joined us as well and shared about the critical work each of their organizations do to support self-directed care participants in the community.
We hope you found this day as inspiring and informative as we did! Please enjoy the resources provided by our outstanding speakers – including links to all recordings as well as presentations slides. This summit was only the beginning; and we hope we can gather again soon to inspire and support each other on your self-direction journey.
Information on Self-Direction Programs in NJFollow us on social media to learn about upcoming events like the PPL New Jersey Self-Direction Virtual Summit, and more information about self direction!
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NJ Self-Direction Summit Highlight Video
Session Recordings and Materials
PPL’s Chief Growth Officer Maria Perrin welcomes attendees on behalf of PPL’s 400+ NJ-based employees who are proud to serve these programs. Agency leaders from each of NJ self-directed programs also share greetings and look ahead to the day’s events.
Assemblywoman Jessica Ramirez highlights legislative support for growth of the self-direction programs in New Jersey as well as her personal connection to self-directed care.
Paul Aronsohn, New Jersey’s statewide ombudsman for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities and their families, shares how his office assists self-direction participants every day. As the administration’s lead advocate and ally for NJ residents, Paul has an interesting perspective. He shares how you can get in touch with his office and answers your questions.
Ricky, a participant in the New Jersey Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) self-directed care option, shares his personal experience in self-direction and how the program has transformed his family’s day-to-day life.
Ocean Partnership for Children’s Melinda Santiago-Owens and Corrie Hometchki highlight the New Jersey children’s system of care and how they service the developmental disability population.
NJ Children’s System of Care PresentationSenator Angela Mcknight shares how self-direction is transforming the landscape of healthcare and personal empowerment in New Jersey. She offers advice directly to participants on how to get the most out of the self-directed care programs and answers your questions.
This panel highlights important information on advocacy best practices and available resources in New Jersey for the differently abled community as well as the aging community. Jon Gottlieb from Autism New Jersey and Lisa Ford from the ARC of New Jersey join us for this panel and share information about each of their agencies, including the services and supports they offer.
Kate Murray, President for Applied Self-Direction, shares an introduction to self-direction in the United States. She explores current participation in self-directed care programs across the country and what these trends suggest about the future of self-direction overall. She also answers your questions.
Attorney Ryann Siclari shares an overview of the enrollment process for the NJ Personal Preference (PPP) program. In this session, she highlights which Medicaid eligibility groups cover Personal Care Assistance (PCA), eligibility criteria and how to enroll.
Enrollment in PPP PresentationCathy Rowe, Executive Director for the New Jersey Advocates for Aging Well, provides an overview of the Essential Jobs, Essential Care New Jersey coalition. She explores how this coalition has helped expand the direct care workforce in New Jersey and helped address workforce shortages.
This interactive panel highlights the role of the support coordinator in the self-direction process. Panelists include support coordinator agency representatives from Bridges, Neighbours Inc. and Values into Action.
PPL’s Chief Growth Officer Maria Perrin summarizes the key learnings of the day and thanks participants for joining us today and sharing their stories.
