KENDALL PARK RESIDENT BEVERLY ROBERTS HONORED BY PLAN/NJ

By Lynn Martorano
Planned Lifetime Assistance Network of New Jersey (PLAN/NJ), the only non-profit social service agency of it’s kind in New Jersey, announced recently that 2014 marks it’s 25th anniversary of service to individuals with severe developmental disabilities and mental health challenges who reside in the state of New Jersey. Kendall Park resident, Beverly Roberts, M.Ed., Director, Mainstreaming Medical Care Program for The Arc of New Jersey will be honored at the PLAN/NJ 25th Anniversary Celebration to be held on Thursday, June 5, 2014 from 6 to 8 pm at the New Jersey Law Center, located at One Constitution Square in New Brunswick, NJ. The festivities will include cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, a special celebrity silent fundraising auction and a keynote address by speaker, Sarah Helena Vazquez, national motivational speaker, advocate, and author. Ms. Roberts will receive the PLAN/NJ Social Service Champion Award which distinguishes her as a leading health care advocate for persons with intellectual or other developmental disabilities (I/DD).

For 25 years, Ms. Roberts has been a staunch advocate for quality medical, dental and behavioral health care for individuals with I/DD of all ages. Ms. Roberts readily comprehends the often complex Medicaid and Medicare health policy issues and is able to both (a) advocate strongly at the state and federal level for health care policies that are in the best interests of persons with I/DD, and (b) explain the health care issues and policy changes to consumers, family members, and staff in terms that are easy to understand. Important health care information is communicated through presentations, a large group e-mail list, an annual conference, newsletter, website, Facebook, and twitter. She has been appointed to many statewide task forces and committees aimed at improving medical, dental, and behavioral health care for persons with disabilities including the Medical Assistance Advisory Council (MAAC), which is responsible for advising NJ Medicaid. Ms. Roberts has received numerous awards and accolades including: the Ann Klein Advocate Award from the Community Health Law Project; the Lifetime Achievement Award from the NJ Council on Developmental Disabilities; the Star Advocate Award from the New Jersey Association of Community Providers; and several Professional of the Year Awards from The Arc of New Jersey, The Arc of Bergen and Passaic Counties, SCARC Guardianship Services, and The Arc of Warren County.
PLAN/NJ was originally formed as the “ARC of New Jersey Community Trust Project,” in 1987 when it was chartered to help parents and caregivers plan for the future care of a loved one with a disability. In 1988, PLAN/NJ became incorporated as an independent organization thanks to the help of Elizabeth Monroe Boggs, PhD, parent and internationally renowned policy maker, who was New Jersey’s foremost scholar and advocate for people with developmental disabilities. Today, the non- profit, social service agency continues to help more than 500 individuals all 21 counties in New Jersey, with various mental health disabilities and mental health challenges in New Jersey including autism, cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities, traumatic brain injury and severe mental illness such as schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder. The agency offers practical solutions for families who are caring for individuals with disabilities, lessening their fear and anxiety when planning for the future. Through their mission, PLAN/NJ helps families with developmental disabilities and mental health challenges in New Jersey answer the question, "Who will care for my loved one when I am gone?" PLAN/NJ’s services include: Guardianship, Home Visiting Monitoring, Representative Payee Services, Life Planning – Legal Estate and Independent Living Planning, and Special Needs Trusts Administration. The agency offers an array of programs offered throughout the year on Life Planning for individuals with developmental disabilities or mental health challenges. PLAN/NJ believes that people with disabilities have a right to experience the quality of life and to receive the services that they and their families desire for as long as necessary. They deliver services by forming a circle of support comprised of families, social service providers, attorneys, financial advisors, and trust administrators, enabling them to deliver specific plans of action and ensuring that necessary services are delivered.
For more information on the 25th Anniversary Celebration or to purchase tickets, please call Lynn Martorano, at PLAN/NJ at (609) 254-7043 or email at [email protected].