May-02-17 Department Of Labor Acting Commissioner Delivers Senate Budget Testimony
~~“Employer Engagement
Second, for the past seven years, our department has worked closely with employers across the state to ensure that investments in education and training programs are aligned with the needs of the business community.
In 2011, we created Talent Networks around the seven key industry clusters that employ more than two-thirds of the workers in New Jersey and pay more than two-thirds of the annual wages. Talent Networks engage industry employers to pinpoint the relevant skills that jobseekers need to get jobs in those major industry clusters and link employers with the state’s educational institutions, employee training providers, state officials and jobseekers.
In October, we released our first-ever Industry-Valued Credentials List to help students and job seekers identify the skills and credentials most in-demand in New Jersey. Our labor market analysts worked closely with employers, educators and workforce development professionals to compile the list of 198 credentials and degrees. We have committed to using this list to direct occupational training dollars toward the most effective workforce and education programs. The list also serves as a consumer protection tool for individuals in search of high-quality occupational training, ensuring that the credential they are seeking is valid and recommended by knowledgeable employers, educators and workforce professionals.”
“Name of Grant Program: Career Pathways Initiative
Fiscal Year of Grant Program: 2017
Start Date and End Date of Grant Program: September 1, 2017 – August 31, 2018
Purpose for Which Funds will be Used:
The purpose of the grant is to establish model demonstrations to expand or improve programs serving persons with the most significant disabilities who are currently in extended employment. Funding for this competitive grant is under the auspices of the New Jersey Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (DVRS), which will serve as administrator and fiscal agent for the funds awarded. In particular, the DVRS is interested in proposals that develop, implement, and build upon career pathway initiatives that will lead to community based competitive integrated employment opportunities within the seven Talent Networks. The term “career pathway programs” means a clear sequence of education coursework and training credentials and should lead to the attainment of an industry-recognized degree or credential, which may include stackable credentials of value in the labor market and that articulate progressively to higher-level credentials or degrees.
Entities that Can Apply for Funding Under This NGO:
Eligible applicants for this 12-month, competitively awarded grant must be agencies that provide Extended Employment Programs authorized and approved by the LWD. The organization must currently be using a center-based employment model and be interested in transitioning participants into competitive integrated employment.”
~~“The Governor’s FY 2018 Budget Recommendation provides $108.5 million in State, federal and dedicated funding for VR Services. This amount is $5.0 million less than the appropriations provided in FY 2017. The decline reflects the proposed discontinuation of a language provision that appropriated $5.0 million from the dedicated Workforce Development Partnership Fund to VR Services. Of the $5.0 million, the language allocated $3.6 million for extended employment client slots transferred to the department from the DHS and $1.4 million for extended employment transportation. According to Evaluation Data in the Governor’s FY 2018 Budget, the department anticipates 3,176 extended employment client slots in FY 2018, a decrease of 163 slots from FY 2015. (page D-234). In addition, the department anticipates appropriating $9,502 for each client in FY 2018, a $396 decrease from FY 2015
“Name of Grant Program: Pre-Employment Transition Services
Fiscal Year of Grant Program: 2017
Start Date and End Date of Grant Program: January 1, 2018 – December 31, 2018
Purpose for Which Funds will be Used:
Entities that Can Apply for Funding Under This NGO:
Eligible applicants for this 12-month, competitively-awarded grant must be organizations with the capacity to serve people with disabilities. Applicants can be private or public non-profit or for profit organizations including faith-based organizations (FBO), such as non-profit organizations with a religious or faith-based association, community-based organizations (CBO), such as non-profit local, neighborhood or grass-roots entities, or Community Rehabilitation Programs (CRP), such as for profit or non-profit programs providing employment-related services to people with disabilities. Such organizations are generally familiar with community needs, appropriate service delivery and are often viewed by clients as comfortable venues for access to services.”
“Special Education” State of New Jersey Department of Education
~~“The New Jersey special education offices are responsible for supervising and monitoring the implementation of the federal requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) in local education agencies (LEAs) which include all school districts. The state special education offices provide leadership to ensure compliance with state and federal regulations and to establish standards that promote improved outcomes for students with disabilities. In order to serve parents and students who receive special education services, the special education policies and procedures office provides the following: •Monitoring, dispute resolution, and complaint investigations; •State and federal IDEA Part B grant applications and oversight; •Approvals of Approved Private Schools for Students with Disabilities, clinics, agencies and community transition programs; •Development of state policy, administrative code and guidance; •Oversight of the Special Education Medicaid Initiative (SEMI); and •Development of the State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report.
“Learning Opportunities Transition from School to Adult Life
~~“Transition is a formal process of long-range cooperative planning that will assist students with disabilities to successfully move from school into the adult world. High quality transition planning and services will enable students with disabilities to pursue their desired postsecondary goals. The following resources are intended to assist schools, families, students, and others in understanding what to do for successful transition to happen, and how to do it.”
New Jersey FAQs: Moving DDD’s Community Care Waiver (CCW) to New Jersey’s Comprehensive Medicaid Waiver
“Effective November 1, 2017, DDD’s 1915(c) Community Care Waiver (CCW) will be incorporated into New Jersey’s larger and more wide-ranging 1115(a) demonstration waiver, known as the Comprehensive Medicaid Waiver.
This is an internal, administrative change. It has no effect on an individual’s DDD-funded services and there is nothing that an individual or his parent/guardian needs to do.”
Opportunity Partnership Training Grant (OPG) program
“Name of Grant Program: Opportunity Partnership…
The purpose of the Opportunity Partnership Training Grant (OPG) program is to assist displaced/dislocated workers secure employment by providing occupational training in industry-valued credential areas that employers have identified as a requirement of the job. The Opportunity Partnership Grants is designed to provide industry needed occupational training to a statewide audience of displaced/dislocated workers, to support the development of high-quality employer-driven partnerships, to build on career pathways in the state's key industries, and to increase the number of adults who have obtained an industry-valued credential.”
New Integrated Health Advisory Panel Holds First Meeting
“TRENTON – The advisory panel appointed to help guide the creation of an integrated primary and behavioral healthcare system in New Jersey held its first official meeting today.
Created last month by the Department of Health (DOH) as part of Governor Chris Christie’s reorganization plan which moved the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services into the DOH, this panel of experts will hold quarterly meetings to discuss the issues affecting the blending of separate systems of care in order to create one system that treats the whole person…
The 18-member Integrated Health Advisory Panel includes the DOH Commissioner or designee as Vice-Chairperson, and brings expertise in clinical services, medical care, policy, legal issues, and technology. It will assist in creating a patient-centered system of care that includes prevention, wellness, treatment, and sustained recovery through coordinated care. It also will advise on issues impacting integrated care including research, data-driven and evidence-based practices; statutory and regulatory barriers; education of community providers; and expansion of and increased access to patient-centered delivery and information integration.”
~~“Most workers whose employment is covered by the New Jersey Unemployment Compensation Law are also protected by a mandatory disability insurance system. Coverage is also extended to employees of the state of New Jersey; Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey; the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey; and the New Jersey Institute of Technology. County and municipal governments as well as other governmental entities may elect coverage for their employees. New Jersey is one of only five states that provide compulsory temporary disability insurance for workers. Cash benefits are payable when you cannot work because of sickness or injury not caused by your job. If you became disabled within 14 days of your last day of work in covered New Jersey employment, you may be covered for disability insurance under the State Plan or an approved Private Plan. Inquiries concerning your coverage may be directed to your employer. If you became disabled more than 14 days after your last day of work, you may be covered by our Disability During Unemployment program. “
