Hospital Visitation Policy

The NJ Department of Health (DOH) issued the hospital visitation policy for people with disabilities effective April 25, 2020.

DOE now considers a designated support person essential to patient care people with disabilities. As a result, hospitals must allow a designated support person to be with the individual during hospitalization. The policy needs to be broader including all disabilities that may require a support person. Please send your concerns to jean.devitto@doh.nj.gov

ACI, as well as many other advocacy groups and individuals, have been advocating on this issue for the past month. Thank you to all of those who sent letters to the Governor. Thank you to Paul Aronsohn, Ombudsman for Individuals with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities and Their Families and Christine Bakter, Associate Director who ensured our emails made it to the Governor's desk. We appreciate your efforts!

Be sure to read the letters that ACI sent out regarding this policy at the links below.

Broaden Hospital Support Letter

Critical Care Letter

Posted on April 25, 2020 by Brian Mazzarella and filed under Health, Advocacy.

ACI and Advocates Provide Input on COVID-19 Policy

ACI was given the opportunity to provide comment on the document entitled, "Allocation of Critical Care Resources During a Public Health Emergency" issued by the NJ Department of Health on April 11, 2020. As the Health Department is finalizing its policy on how critical care resources are distributed during the coronavirus crisis, ACI and its partner advocates provided needed input to ensure that the rights of people with disabilities and their families/guardians are included.

Below is the letter that ACI sent to the Department of Health.

Letter to Department of Health

Posted on April 24, 2020 by Brian Mazzarella and filed under Health, Advocacy, Emergency Preparedness.

Concerns NJ Disabled Face During Coronavirus...Let Governor Murphy Know!

The Alliance Center for Independence and its allies have compiled a list of some of the most pressing issues facing people with disabilities in NJ (based on our contact with our constituents) and have presented them to state emergency, legislators and human services officials. We recently submitted the list to Governor Murphy. (See below)

We are urging people with disabilities and their family members to write to Governor Phil Murphy to let him know of the issues you are facing during this crisis. During most crises, the issues facing people with disabilities are often crowded out by others...but we can change that!

Coronavirus Guide for People with I-DD

To better prepare our community during the recent Coronavirus outbreak, we put together this downloadable guide filled with numerous tips and resources for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Download it at the links below!

DOWNLOAD GUIDE (PDF)

DOWNLOAD GUIDE (TEXT ONLY)

Posted on March 26, 2020 by Brian Mazzarella and filed under Health, Emergency Preparedness.

Coronavirus Update from the Alliance Center for Independence - Partial Suspension of ACI Activities

UPDATE on 3/17/20: To protect our consumers and visitors, there will only be staff at the ACI office as of March 18th. We are taking all precautions to stay well and will be here to assist you as long as we can. We will continue to assist our food pantry customers. Please contact us if you need assistance.

At the Alliance Center for Independence (ACI), our priority is to protect and support our consumers, staff, volunteers and visitors. We have been taking several proactive precautionary measures, including implementing new and rigorous cleaning routines, and staying in close communication with our health officials.

Following the guidelines of the federal government and state officials, we decided to minimize our gatherings in order to limit the spread of the Coronavirus.

National Public Health Week 2019

During the first week of April, ACI held several events and workshops in celebration of National Public Health Week. NPHW is a campaign created by the American Public Health Association (APHA) to promote and educate everyone about public health and wellness. ACI recognized this year's NPHW by encouraging healthy eating, walking and rolling for exercise, and using UV lights to learn about the importance of good hygiene.

Posted on April 5, 2019 by Brian Mazzarella and filed under Health.

Stress Management Workshop

Michael Pearson, the Training and Technical Assistance Coordinator for the New Jersey Self-Advocacy Project, recently came to ACI for a workshop on stress. Participants in the class learned about various tips and techniques to manage stress including diet, breathing exercises, and meditation. This workshop was a part of ACI’s Health and Wellness program.

Posted on March 21, 2019 by Brian Mazzarella and filed under Workshop, Health.