Self-Advocacy Resource Center

Advance Directives

Learn about ways to record and enforce medical decision-making for yourself or your minor children.

Advocating for Special Education

Special Education Self-Advocacy Guide Disability Rights New Jersey understands that the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is a complicated law. We created this self-advocacy guide to help families of students […]

Understanding the Client Assistance Program

Early Education

Children with disabilities below the age of three can obtain services through the New Jersey’s Early Intervention System. This publication is intended to assist and inform families of infants and […]

Employment Support Services From the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD): Frequently Asked Questions

Both the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) and the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (DVRS) provide services for those persons with developmental disabilities who are seeking employment. Each agency can […]

How to Report Abuse and Neglect

If you are a person with a disability in a medical hospital, psychiatric hospital, developmental center, nursing home, or other facility, or a family member or friend, and you are concerned about abuse, neglect or violations of the rights of a person with a disability or your own rights, please contact us. For medical emergencies or you believe someone is in danger, please dial 911.

Legal Rights of Psychiatric Patients

Individuals receiving psychiatric in-patient treatment at psychiatric hospitals have legal rights. The rights of a patient depend on what legal status the individual has. There are three main legal statuses: […]

Legislative Advocacy

Life After High School

Transition planning and services to prepare students for life after high school are important components of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The checklist serves as a guide to transition […]

Modivcare Complaint Resource Guide

Non-Emergency Medical Transportation: Learn about the process to make sure complaints about transportation services get the attention they deserve. Users of Modivcare (formerly known as Logisticare) will find this guide […]

Making Up Special Education Services If the Student Graduated at the end of the 2019-2020 School Year: Frequently Asked Questions

The COVID-19 pandemic, which forced schools in New Jersey to close in March 2020, has made it difficult for many students with disabilities to benefit from special education services under […]

Managed Care Organization Appeals

Learn about the process to appeal a reduction, termination, or denial of Medicaid services delivered through a Managed Care Organization. This material will help you preserve Medicaid benefits by advocating […]

Medicaid Eligibility Basics

Learn about Medicaid eligibility as we anticipate the end of the COVID public health emergency.

NJ Traumatic Brain Injury Fund

WHAT IS THE TBI FUND?  The TBI Fund at the New Jersey Division of Disability Services provides New Jersey residents who have sustained a traumatic brain injury a wide range […]

Non-Emergency Medical Transportation

Non-Emergency Medical Transportation: Learn about the process to make sure complaints about transportation services get the attention they deserve. Users of Logisticare (soon to be renamed Modivcare) will find this […]

Parent & Student Resources for S3434

Relevant Contacts and Sources of Information NJ Department of Education, Office of Special Education Policy and Dispute Resolution (formerly Office of Special Education Programs) (SPDR or OSEP) Dominic Rota, Director […]

Psychiatric Advance Directives (PAD)

Understanding the Psychiatric Advance Directive (PAD)  A Psychiatric Advance Directive (PAD) is a document that details instructions on an individual’s psychiatric treatment in the event that individual is in crisis […]

Reasonable Accommodations at Work

Everyone needs the right tools to perform a job. It makes good business sense to have a workplace that accommodates everyone’s needs. And laws, like the Americans with Disabilities Act, […]

Reasonable Accommodations in Housing

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS: The Americans With Disabilities Act and The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination: A Frequently Asked Questions – A Basic Overview of the Laws

The Americans with Disabilities Act has been protecting employees with disabilities for over 30 years. The New Jersey equivalent is known as the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination and is […]

Restraint and Seclusion in Schools

What are Restraint and Seclusion in Schools?

Self-Advocacy in the Workplace: Know Your Rights

Social Security Overpayments – The Basics and How to Handle Overpayment Issues

Social Security SSDI Overpayments: What You Need to Know

Social Security SSI Overpayments: What You Need to Know

Student-Earned Income Exclusion (SEIE)

Social Security has several important work incentives that allow eligible people with disabilities to test their ability to work. One of these work incentives is the Student Earned Income Exclusion.If […]

Supported Decision-Making

Supported Decision-Making 101 is an easy-to-understand introduction to the concept of Supported Decision-making, an explanation of how it might work for New Jersey residents, and a brief discussion of how […]

Toolkit for Students with Life-Threatening Medical Conditions

Many students in New Jersey have medical conditions that are potentially life-threatening such as asthma, epilepsy, diabetes, and food allergy. Public and non-public schools in New Jersey are required to have […]

Vocational Rehabilitation Transition Services: A Student’s Guide

New Jersey’s state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies train young people and adults with disabilities to find and keep good jobs. In New Jersey we have two state vocational rehabilitation (VR) […]

Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services for Those With Developmental Disabilities: Frequently Asked Questions

Both the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) and the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (DVRS) provide services for those persons with developmental disabilities who are seeking employment. Each agency can […]

WIOA: What Parents of Children with I/DD Need to Know about Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Transition Services

Webinar presentation: What Parents Need to Know About WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act)

What Parents of Children with I/DD Need to Know about Vocational Rehabilitation Transition Services

In July 22, 2014, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) was signed into law with bi-partisan congressional support. WIOA expands the provision of VR transition services to students with disabilities […]