Governor Christie presented his budget address today under the tagline "The New Jersey Comeback." I was pleased to hear him speak as he highlighted the creation of a new department within the Department of Children and Families that will serve as a "single point of entry" for families of children with developmental disabilities. As many of you know, navigating any service within this department is a nightmare- a seemingly endless amount of paperwork, numerous and ever-changing contacts, and hours and hours of your time wasted- hours and hours of your child's time wasted.
I hope that this new department is well-staffed with knowledgeable employees- you know, people who have actually met a child with a disability. I hope that a family can apply for services and work with one case manager for an extended period of time, so that case manager can get to know the child's needs and the family's needs. I hope that the services to be provided and managed include financial relief for families, counseling services for parents, siblings, and children, and education and training opportunities for family members.
Governor Christie also spoke about the importance of transitioning teenagers with developmental disabilities to adult services, an area that is greatly lacking in efficient and effective resources.
Governor Christie repeatedly cites the need to make government smarter; today he took a step towards applying that philosophy to a community of New Jersey citizens that has long suffered. I hope that he has done his homework and that "The New Jersey Comeback" produces a system that works for and with the people of the great state of New Jersey. There's a lot riding on it.
No comments:
Post a Comment