Local NJ organizations J-ADD, OHEL, Kaplan JCC on the Palisades partner to organize Developmental Disabilities conference on February 15th in Tenafly.

On Sunday, February 15th, the entire community is invited to the JCC on the Palisades to attend a conference on navigating the changing systems of Developmental Disabilities. This timely conference, in the middle of Jewish Disabilities Awareness Month, will address the critical needs that so many families of individuals with disabilities face, including housing, medicaid/entitlements, advocacy, employment and planning for adulthood.

NJ State Senator Loretta Weinberg, D.O. Majority Leader will open the conference and the keynote will  feature Ms Elizabeth M. Shea, Assistant Commissioner of  Division of Developmental Disabilities  followed by  a panel conversation about housing options in NJ by Gail Levinson, Executive Director SHA, and  Tom Toronto, President United Way of Bergen County.  Additional speakers will include: Leizer Gewirtzman, Holly Martins, Jennifer Joyce, and Teresa Herrero- Taylor.  Speakers will be addressing;  Employment, SSI/Medicaid Eligibilities, Advocacy for Parents, and Life Care Planning and Support.

The conference is being organized by J-ADD, OHEL & JCCOTP, with many local community organizations participating as well including JFS Clifton-Passaic, Bergen County Y/JCC , JFS Bergen in Wayne , and Sinai.  If any other organizations still wish to participate, please contact SShapiro@J-Add.org  for more information on getting involved.

The conference will be held Sunday morning, Feb 15th at the Kaplan JCC on the Palisades, located at 411 E. Clinton Avenue, Tenafly NJ 07670. Registration begins at 8:30am and the program runs from 9am-12pm. The conference is free and open to the public but registration is required.   To register for the conference, please contact the OHEL NJ Mental Health Center at NNJCONFRegister@ohelfamily.org
 or 201-692-3972.