Join Us.

Established in 2015.

We are an organization dedicated to expanding opportunities for people with disabilities to fully participate in the design, delivery and evaluation of their services, with the support they need, from whom they want.  Ultimately, this means people and their families are supported in living lives of meaning, of their own choosing.

Our Goal.

We are focused on innovation in services, and in expanding and improving self-direction and disability supports in New Jersey.

Our Members.

Values Into Action
Co-Founder

A founding member of The Collaborative for Citizen Directed Supports NJ, Values Into Action (VIANJ) is one of the three original Support Coordination Agencies in NJ.
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​VIANJ has been supporting people with disabilities and their families state-wide, in all 21 NJ counties, since 2007.  We are strong allies for people who want to design their own lives using person centered planning. 

Service Access & Management, Inc. 
Co-Founder

Service Access & Management, Inc. (SAM) is a not-for-profit human services organization serving communities throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. 

Some of the SAM provides include Mental Health Case Management, Early Intervention Service Coordination, Developmental Disability Service Coordination, Community Wellness Support Services, Crisis Intervention, Truancy Remediation, Children & Youth Oversight and Management as well as Safety Training, IT Support Services, Fiscal and Administrative oversight, HR Management and HIPAA Privacy training.  

Neighbours Inc. 
​​Co-Founder

​Neighbours Inc partners with people and those who love them, as they learn how to plan for their future, establish a home for themselves; recruit, hire, and manage personal assistants; and establish a valued presence in the communities where they have chosen to live and work.  We also partner with people, who qualify for DDD services, with all aspects of self-direction as their Support Coordinators. We support people in discovering and utilizing resources, and facilitate planning how people can use what is available to establish the life they want to live.
Gold Medal Home Health 
​Member 2020

​Gold Medal Home Health helps adults with developmental disabilities live independently in communities through our supported and independent living services. Our staff walk beside our clients offering education on choices and life skills, or companionship and personal care. 

​Our service empowers individuals to make decisions about how and where they live their lives. 
Royal Community Support 
​Member 2020

Founded in 2017, Royal Community Support was built on a foundation of equity: we recognize that excellent services can only be provided when employees feel respected, inspired, appreciated, and are compensated fairly. 

Providing services throughout NJ, the people we work for, and the employees who support them, are as diverse as the many communities in which we live, work, and play.      
Our Constitution.
THE COLLABORATIVE FOR CITIZEN DIRECTED SUPPORTS-NEW JERSEY
CONSTITUTION OF COLLABORATION
 
United by Choice 
​​We willingly work together because of a common cause: to promote choice and control for all citizens.
OUR MISSION
 
To foster collaboration among people with disabilities, their families, and allies- including  organizations, so that every citizen can rightfully determine the course of their lives.
 
WHY WE CREATED THE COLLABORATIVE
 
There are countless organizations already working on behalf of people with intellectual disabilities in New Jersey. Perhaps yours is, too. Now imagine what we could do united for a single cause.
 
At the Collaborative for Citizen Directed Support-New Jersey, we believe that all of us have the inherent right to determine the course of our own lives. Seeing each individual as the full person they are, we know people from every walk of life and ability can lead rewarding journeys—right in their own homes and communities. This is especially true when they have choice and control over services that are intended to enable this. If you share these beliefs, imagine what we could do united.
 
WHAT WE ASPIRE TO
 
We are a membership association for people and organizations that share this vision and want to work together to expand citizen directed services in partnership with people with disabilities and their families. We want to find better ways to share our expertise. We recognize that our best resources truly are each other.
 
At the Collaborative, we embrace different. Whether it’s different life choices, abilities, perspectives or approaches, respecting what sets us apart is what brings us together; and together, we will do what it takes to ensure the people of New Jersey are supported in living lives of their choosing.
 
The Collaborative believes that a person’s choices must be informed, respected and supported.  We believe the person’s aspirations define the work and that system services should comprise some but never all of a person’s support system.
  
BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP

  • Creating opportunities for shared learning and teaching in a stimulating environment such as topic driven webinars
  • Networking with colleagues and subject matter experts, both in person and virtually, vetted by the Collaborative,
  • Sharing access to information on best practices in I/DD services and supports through conferences and other forums
  • Offering technical assistance on matters of compliance, policy and regulation as relates to the provision of services that can be self-directed
  • Guiding and supporting each other through the many challenges we collectively face in our work
  • Promoting the expertise of people with lived experience, family members and organizations to expand citizen directed supports throughout New Jersey
  • Mentoring each other as we collectively drive change in the service system and beyond
  • Policy advocacy and influence as it relates to the expansion and quality of all person centered, self-directed services  
  • Influence the Support Coordination Leadership Forum
  • Creation and participation in community based educational webinars​

Join us in Collaboration.

If you are an individual or agency that is interested in being a member of The Collaborative for Citizen Directed Supports NJ, please contact us at thecollaborativenj@gmail.com