In the state of New Jersey, the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) has a comprehensive set of guidelines applicable to all group homes. Sadly, many group homes throughout the state are not fully adhering to these guidelines. You have a legal right to file an official complaint against non-compliant group homes, obligating the Department of Human Services’ Office of Licensing to conduct an investigation.
What Are the Guidelines for New Jersey Group Homes?
The Standards for Community Residences for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities (SCRIDD) lay out the legal policies New Jersey group homes are legally bound to. Initially adopted in 1978, these guidelines have been amended as recently as 2024. I’m going to focus on a few critical sections of the SCRIDD, providing information from the document itself along with some helpful insight.
New Jersey Group Home Staff Training Standards
Staff members of New Jersey group homes are legally required to complete a training program during the first 90 days of their employment. This training program incorporates various topics, including but not limited to:
- Preventing abuse and neglect
- First aid
- Medications
- Mobility devices
- Disability-specific training (for example, if a group home employee will be working with individuals with seizure disorders, that group home employee must complete training that enables them to professionally and adequately care for those individuals)
As I mentioned in my previous blog, The Widespread Abuse and Neglect in New Jersey Group Homes, negligence is rampant in many of our state’s group homes. Unfortunately, training staff members on how to prevent abuse and neglect does not always carry over to real-life scenarios. And the fact that the faculty themselves are committing some of these acts of disregard and mistreatment is even more frightening.
New Jersey Group Home Staff Coverage Standards
This section of the SCRIDD essentially defines how the staff must supervise group home residents and describes the correlating scheduling requirements.
Records of Group Home Residents
When an individual with developmental disabilities moves into a group home, the group home generates and maintains a file that contains extensive records and reports pertaining to many items, including:
- Pre-admission information
- Various testing results
- Physical examination records
- Seizure records
- Medication administration
- Personal possession inventory
- Authorizations and acknowledgments
Additionally, this section includes the following statements:
Files for individuals residing in group homes and supervised apartments shall be maintained at the residence.
An individual shall have access to his or her records
I have personally witnessed group homes blatantly disregard these statements.
What reason would a group home possibly have not to provide access to a resident’s records? It is fairly apparent that in cases like this, the group home is attempting to hide something.
How Do We Fix the Problem?
There is no easy way to answer this question. I urge you to file an official complaint against any group home not fully compliant with SCRIDD. The state may drag out the investigation process; however, it is often the only path toward obtaining justice.
I work with families and individuals throughout New Jersey, navigating them through the legal challenges preventing their loved ones from receiving the care and support they need and deserve. Contact my law firm today to learn how we can help you fight abuse and neglect within our state.