Sponsored by:
Senator STEPHEN M. SWEENEY
District 3 (Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem)
Senator M. TERESA RUIZ
District 29 (Essex)
SYNOPSIS
Directs Secretary of Higher Education to develop training program for direct support professionals and requires county colleges to administer program; appropriates $450,000.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the establishment of training programs for direct support professionals at county colleges, supplementing chapter 64A of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. As used in this act, “direct support professional” means a professional who works closely with a person of any age who has an intellectual, developmental, mental, or physical disability and whose work supports the client in making gains towards self-sufficiency and community integration.
2. a. The Secretary of Higher Education shall develop a training program for direct support professionals. The training program shall provide program participants with an understanding of:
(1) the essential knowledge, practices, and skills necessary to provide direct support to individuals;
(2) age-appropriate behavior including social, educational, and occupational skills pertaining to intellectual, developmental, mental, and physical disabilities; and
(3) the ethical principles of working in the direct support profession, and the importance of self-determination and community inclusion for the client population.
The secretary shall make the training program available to county colleges no later than six months following the effective date of this act.
b. The secretary shall award grants to county colleges to support the implementation of the training program for direct support professionals.
3. a. Each county college shall administer the training program developed pursuant to section 2 of this act for direct support professionals.
b. A county college may apply to the Secretary of Higher Education, in such manner as the secretary deems necessary, for a grant to support the implementation of the training program.
4. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education the sum of $450,000 for the purpose of providing grants to county colleges in implementing the provisions of section 3 of this act.
5. This act shall take
effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Secretary of Higher Education to develop a training program for direct support professionals. The training program will provide program participants with an understanding of:
(1) the essential knowledge, practices, and skills necessary to provide direct support to individuals;
(2) age-appropriate behavior including social, educational, and occupational skills pertaining to intellectual, developmental, mental, and physical disabilities; and
(3) the ethical principles of working in the direct support profession, and the importance of self-determination and community inclusion for the client population.
The bill directs the secretary to make the training program available to county colleges no later than six months following the bill’s effective date. The bill also directs the secretary to make grant awards to county colleges to support the implementation of the training program.
Under the bill, each county college is required to administer the training program developed by the secretary for direct support professionals. A county college may apply to the secretary for a grant to support the implementation of the training program.
Finally, the bill appropriates from the General Fund to the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education the sum of $450,000 for the purpose of providing grants to county colleges in implementing the bill’s provisions.