June Meetings with DOH, SHA and Transportation Company
EIPA Meeting with Dr. Shenouda
EIPA Director, Dr. Josephine Shenouda, met with the EIPA to answer questions and discuss strategies and policies. Josephine discussed the cyclical monitoring tool which has been in development for two years and will be made public at the end of August. She believes that elements of cyclical monitoring will bring positive changes to the system.
Second topic of discussion was the waiting list and the shortage of PTs and the many instances of timely services not being met in the southern region of the state. Suggestions were made by the group including reevaluations after 3-6 months. Josephine announced that Policy Mine which has not been updated since 2012 and is set to be modernized. The group generally agreed that the overall issue involves communication issues between and among entities.
Early Intervention along with WIC (service-based programs) have been moved to a new division titled, Nutrition and Development. They are looking for an AC. Until then Josephine will report directly to DC Hornsby. During Josephine’s tenure EI has grown from 12 to 20 staffers. They need 25 and hope to make up the difference once the hiring freeze concludes.
The Director plans to bring the issue of timely reimbursement to DOH staff in addition to establishing a quality assurance process.
Regarding Child Find and marketing, DOH will be contracting with a vendor to assist in marketing and bring EI into the 21st century. Competition from ABA centers was discussed. Josephine will also investigate posting information on EI in the 211 system (a suggestion made by an EIPA member) in addition to connecting with the VNA, NJ Connect, Early Head Start and the hospital NICUs.
Finally, the findings from the NIEER study are very valuable and will be made public sometime in the fall.
EIPA thanks Director Shenouda for her access, availability and transparency. We are very grateful that she was available to attend the June meeting and for her leadership.
SHA NJ at ABCD
Kate Kelly, the ED of SHA NJ and her intern Zoe joined ABCD’s CFOO Forum to introduce members to SHA and discuss housing trends, issues and concerns. Kate and Zoe gave an overview of SHA, SHAs advocacy priorities, policy recommendations, and member supports. Kate believes that the current administration is positioning itself well for increased access to housing and supportive housing.
The Supportive Housing Association of New Jersey unites its diverse coalition of members to advance, promote, and increase supportive housing opportunities across New Jersey. Their mission is to enhance lives and accessibility to enable independent living within our communities. SHA envisions New Jersey where people with special needs can thrive in inclusive communities and live independently and with dignity —made possible by a strong, well-supported network of member organizations that we empower through resources, innovation, collaboration, and advocacy for systems change.
ABCD is a proud member of SHA’s advocacy committee. ABCD follows SHAs leadership on all things housing related and is thankful for SHA’s support of our (non-housing) issues.
To learn more about SHA NJ, access their website at www.shanj.org
To learn more about SHA NJ’s annual conferences, access the information via www.shanj.org/conference-2026
SCA Meets with Private Transportation Company
The ability to hire private transportation under HCBS has been a game changer for the people we support.
In an effort to develop suggestions for improving the system, Christopher Gonzalez of Allay Home Care met with the SCA in June to provide information and answer questions about private transportation. The discussion centered around the process under which private transportation can secure a rate for a specific ride and in the budget, securing payment, access to WAVE, and the information private transport receives and should receive. At their next meeting in July, the SCA will determine if there are specific advocacy requests or changes to the Waiver that should be requested of DDD/DHS.
Our thanks to Mr. Gonzalez for helping SCA better understand the process from the perspective of the transportation provider.
For more information on Allay Home Care Transportation, Visit Alayhc.com
