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Act Now: Protect Disability Services
🚨 Update: The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” Passed the Senate on July 1 🚨 Now it’s back in the hands of Congress — and your voice is more important than ever. Why This Matters Congress is working on a law called the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” If it passes, it could make big changes to how people […]
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Olmstead: A Victory for Self-Advocates and a Guiding Light for Our Work
June 22, 1999, marks a powerful moment in disability rights history. On that day, the U.S. Supreme Court made a decision in Olmstead v. L.C. that changed lives. It said that people with disabilities have the right to live in their communities – not institutions. But this victory didn’t happen on its own. It happened because two […]
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Here’s Who’s Helping With Your NJ Self-Direction Services Soon
If you or someone you care for uses self-directed services in New Jersey, there’s a helpful update you should know about. A new company is stepping in to assist with managing certain parts of your services—like billing and paperwork. Don’t worry, this doesn’t change the support you receive or how your services work. It’s simply […]
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A Shared Vision: Creating a Charting the LifeCourse Resource Together
We’re happy to announce the release of the new Implementing Charting the LifeCourse (CtLC) Job Aid! This helpful guide was made to support people who receive services, their families, and the people who support them. It gives clear ideas on how to use the CtLC framework in everyday life. This project started with a simple If/Then […]
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Spring Transition Fair Season
The arrival of Spring brings a lot of things. There is an excitement of change and growth. The school year is winding down and people with disabilities and their families are planning for a major life transition. “Transition” is the process when someone with a disability graduates from high school and moves into adulthood. This usually […]
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Making An Impact with Self-Direction
Our Commitment to Self-Determination Values Into Action is about self determination: choice, authority, freedom, responsibility and self advocacy. We exist because we learned to follow the lead of people with disabilities and their families. The best thing for professionals to do is to offer information, resources and help. As professionals we can help people use […]
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Together We Stand: Supporting ACL and Our Communities
The dismantling of the Administration for Community Living (ACL) was announced last week. It is unfortunately not a surprise given other recent policy changes. People with disabilities and elderly people are particularly vulnerable in our society. Thanks to the ACL, there have been innovations and improvements to community-based services. This has enabled so many disabled […]
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Medicaid: Understanding the Past to Inform the Future
People are talking a lot about potential Medicaid changes. This includes whether the federal government might give less money for it in the future. In New Jersey, people with disabilities need Medicaid to get important help from DDD services. Even though many people have protested and told the government, “No Cuts, No Caps” and “Hands […]
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Honoring the Anniversary of the Capital Crawl
As we celebrate 20 years of Values Into Action, we are reflecting on the pivotal events that came before us. Also, the opportunities to inform policy that are ahead. The Capitol Crawl: A Tribute to Disability Rights Activists On March 12, 1990, a pivotal moment in the fight for disability rights unfolded on the steps […]
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Youth Transition Resource Spotlight SessionsÂ
The Youth Transition Conference (YTC) began as an idea in 2021 by Values into Action. Responding to the changes we were all facing due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The goal was to support people with disabilities, their families, caregivers and professionals. We had connected in person before the pandemic, but everything had to go virtual. Values […]