person centered services 

PLAN|NJ offers vital services to people with disabilities and their families that enhance their independence and help them thrive. Our model of high-quality, individualized assistance ensures access to an uninterrupted continuum of services and resources. We will support each person’s optimal health and well-being all their lives. Read about each of our services below.

LIFE PLANNING

PLAN|NJ guides families through the design of a comprehensive future plan – a LifePLAN — for a relative with mental challenges or with intellectual, developmental or physical disabilities. This plan encompasses the legal, financial, home and community supports that are required to help their loved one thrive. It tells a holistic story of the individual, their support needs and preferences, housing and employment recommendations, interests, activities, hopes and wishes for the future, and those their families have for them. The document is updated regularly as needs and circumstances change to give future caregivers a full and up–to-date understanding. We also consult with siblings and other caregivers to improve their capacity to advocate for them. For more information, go to Life Planning Tools.

SPECIAL NEEDS TRUST ADMINISTRATION

The PLAN\NJ Trust Administration department can serve you and your family in a fiduciary role, providing oversight and monitoring of a Special Needs Trust or the pooled PLAN|NJ Community Trust to help you apply for and preserve Medicaid, Social Security, and other public benefits. We regularly communicate with the beneficiary of the trust, or a family member or representative, to determine what is needed to support quality life, and we administer funds from the trust to supplement public benefits. We help develop budgets and spending plans, provide financial accounting and reporting to public benefits agencies, and provide referrals to attorneys or financial planners when needed. For more information, read What Is A Special Needs Trust?

Learn more about Special Needs Trust Administration HERE

GUARDIANSHIP

PLAN|NJ staff can serve as an individual’s Legal Guardian and be responsible for surrogate decision-making on their behalf, while promoting their choice and self-determination, dignity and respect. We provide Case Management services, including a minimum of one monthly in-home visit. We ensure their quality of life is upheld and advocated for in areas of health, housing, education, employment, recreation and community living.

HOME VISIT MONITORING

PLAN|NJ visits individuals at home and in person, regularly and consistently, to assess their needs and desires. We may accompany them on a daily activity such as grocery shopping, or drive them to visit the doctor. We may provide more in-depth support, such as when they need to navigate the complex disability and mental health service systems, or when they need an advocate for health care, housing, school or work.

REPRESENTATIVE PAYEE FOR SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS

If you or a family member are already receiving a PLAN|NJ service, you can also have PLAN|NJ serve as a Representative Payee for Social Security benefits . We can assist with eligibility and benefits issues, ensuring personal needs and financial obligations are met.

For more information on all our services, read Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and the PLAN|NJ Annual Report.

LIFE PLANNING TOOLS

Knowing where to start can often be the most difficult aspect of planning for the future. Take advantage of these tools and fact sheets to inspire ideas, raise important questions, and help you gain control over the planning process. Ask yourself about the support that you or a family member will most benefit from, and who in your family or community is available to assist. After spending time reviewing these planning tools, contact PLAN|NJ at 908-575-8300 to begin developing the LifePLAN you and your loved one need.

INITIAL LIFE PLANNING QUESTIONS

Consider these critical questions as you plan for your loved one’s future:

  • When I am gone, who is able and willing to do what I now do for them each day?
  • Where will they live?
  • Who will help handle their money?
  • Who will be the trustee of our special needs trust?  Who will serve if that person cannot?
  • Who will know my loved one well enough to advise the trustee of their needs?
  • Who will be their legal guardian, if needed?  Who will serve if that person cannot?
  • Who will make sure they continually receive good health care?
  • Who will talk to medical professionals about their health if they cannot?
  • Who will visit regularly and keep long-distance family members informed about their life?
  • Who will visit them if they are hospitalized?
  • Who will make sure their preferences are taken into account when decisions are being made about his or her life?
  • Who will make sure caregivers know my wishes and hopes for him/her?
  • Who will celebrate his/her birthday and holidays?
  • Who will make sure he/she is able to practice his or her religion?
  • Who will make sure my loved one has social and recreational opportunities?

our story

"A Talk With Families"

The stories of three families with loved ones who have disabilities and who use PLAN|NJ's trust administration and care coordination services are told through interviews conducted in their homes by Executive Director Ellen Nalven.

GET IN TOUCH

Planned Lifetime Assistance Network of New Jersey PLAN|NJ
PO Box 547
Somerville, NJ 08876-0547
908-575-8300 (Phone)
908-927-9010 (Fax)
info@plannj.org

PROUD MEMBERS OF:

Alliance for the Betterment of Citizens with Disabilities
Association of People Supporting Employment First
Alliance for Pooled Trusts
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Guardianship Association
National PLAN Alliance
Supportive Housing Association of New Jersey

SOMETHING MISSING? LET US KNOW.

We work hard to provide relevant and current information. If you feel something is missing or needs to be corrected, please contact us via our contact form HERE.

PLAN|NJ = Lifetime Advocacy for People with Disabilities

 

OUR MISSION

PLAN|NJ’s mission is to help family members of people with disabilities answer the question:

“Who will care for my loved one when I'm gone?”

We coordinate the supports needed by individuals with intellectual, developmental and physical disabilities, and challenges with mental health, including people with autism, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, severe mental illness and more.

Spanish Translation

Si usted habla español y quisiera mas información sobre nuestros servicios o si desea una consulta con PLAN\NJ, por favor comuníquese con
Nancy Dilliplane, Director of Trust Services, para asistencia bilingüe:  908-575-8300, extensión 15

nancy.dilliplane@plannj.org