Statewide Disability Services

The New Jersey Division of Disability Services (NJ DDS) has provided services for adults with disabilities due to injury or illness.

DDS Hotline
The NJ DDS's hotline provides information and referral assistance on issues affecting people with disabilities. Call 888-285-3036 to receive assistance.

County Services
Each County has resources for individuals for people with disabilities. Find the contact information and website for each county's disability services.

Housing Options

Independent living facilities are housing communities that are for those who are able to live on their own but may need support systems and services. These facilities have private homes or apartments that have access to common areas. Find local independent living communities.

Assisted living facilities are residential communities for those who need help with daily tasks such as dressing, eating, bathing, taking medication, and more. Various support services, recreation programs, and activities are also available in some locations. Find local assisted living facilities.

To find other housing options and information for adults with disabilities, visit our Housing Programs for Special Populations page .

Managed Long Term Services and Supports (MLTSS)

The MLTSS is a Medicaid waiver program that provides access to private duty nursing for children who are not otherwise eligible for NJ FamilyCare due to income eligibility. This program is also available to adults with disabilities who meet level of care and income eligibility requirements. Learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Fund

The TBI Fund gives NJ residents, of any age, the opportunity to access brain injury-related services and supports they may need to live in their communities. They aim to raise the quality of life when insurance, personal resources, and/or public programs may have fallen short of assisting with those needs.

Recipients of the fund must:

• Provide medical documentation of the brain injury
• Have liquid assets amounting to less than $100,000
• Be an NJ resident for at least 90 consecutive days

Personal Assistance Service Program (PASP)

The PASP is a personal care assistance program that gives up to 40 hours per week of non-medical personal care to adults with permanent disabilities between ages 18 and 70 who are employed, preparing for employment, attending school, or involved in community volunteer work and who are able to self-direct their services. Tasks they can assist with include bathing, dressing, eating, grooming, cooking, shopping, cleaning, driving, using public transportation, and more.

Participants receive a monthly budget to purchase services, create their own individualized plan, choose who provides their services, and tailor services based on their schedule and needs.

Employment Support

The New Jersey Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (NJ DVRS) provides career counseling, job placement, support employment, evaluations, pre-employment transition services, benefits counseling, and more to individuals who have disabilities that substantially impede employment. Many of the services provided by NJ DVRS are at no cost. With a Rehabilitation Counselor, individuals create an Individualized Plan for Employment to determine the appropriate services. Call 866-871-7867 or complete an online referral form.

NJ Workability

NJ Workability is a program that offers people with disabilities who are working, and those who are ineligible for Medicaid due to income, the opportunity to receive full Medicaid coverage.

To be eligible, the applicant must:

• Be aged 16 – 64
• Working full- or part-time with proof of employment
• Determined as disabled by the Social Security Administration OR the Disability Review Team at the Division of Medical Assistance & Health Services
• Have certain income and asset eligibility

NJ ABLE

NJ ABLE stands for New Jersey Achieving a Better Life Experience. This program allows qualified individuals with disabilities to save for disability-related expenses in tax-advantaged savings accounts without losing eligibility for certain assistance programs such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Medicaid. Examples of eligible expenses include education, housing, transportation, personal support services, and more.

Interest income earned in the account is not taxed. Balances of $100,000 or less are excluded from the SSI resource limit. If the account balance exceeds $100,000, the SSI cash benefit will be suspended, but they will continue to be eligible for Medicaid.

To be eligible, you must meet the following two requirements:

• Your disability was present before age 26; and
• One of the following is true:
  • You are eligible for SSI or SSDI because of a disability OR
  • You experience blindness as determined by the Social Security Act OR
  • You have a similarly severe disability with a written diagnosis from a licensed physician

  To find out more information, click here. They also provide a brochure in English. To apply for NJ ABLE, click here.

  Reporting Suspected Abuse Against Individuals With Disabilities

  If an individual with a disability is in immediate danger, call 9-1-1.

  If an individual with a disability is being subjected to physical or emotional abuse, neglect, or exploitation and is not in immediate danger, report it by calling 800-832-9173 (press 1). When reporting abuse, expect to provide as much information as possible about the incident(s), including the date(s), location and nature of the incident(s), and the names of people involved. Learn more bout the reporting process.

  Emergency Planning

  Our Emergency Planning for Special Populations webpage includes important information on how individuals with disabilities can prepare for an emergency.

  NJ Register Ready is a free and confidential service that allows New Jersey residents with disabilities and their families, friends, and caregivers an opportunity to input information to emergency response agencies so emergency responders can better plan to serve them in a disaster or personal emergency. The information provided by the applicant is private and only used for emergency response and planning.