A view of the New Jersey Statehouse in Trenton.TRENTON — The five-member task force that recently voted to close developmental centers in Totowa and Woodbridge released its report today that outlined the information it sought to make its decision, which has already elicited a union protest and a vow to sue by some families of disabled people who live there.
Although the Task Force on the Closure of State Developmental Center's report is 70 pages, it contains few statistics and no records members requested in order to reach its conclusion. Those records include the economic forecast of the counties that host one of the state's seven institutions, the number of people who are supplied with a government guardian, and the results of state and federal inspections.
The task force's binding recommendation said the state Department of Human Services must "develop and implement a plan to close North Jersey Developmental Center followed by Woodbridge Developmental Center within the next five years, in accordance with a schedule that takes into account the needs of the residents of the developmental centers to be closed and the operational concerns of the developmental centers and the community services system."
The two facilities are home to about 700 residents combined and provide jobs for more than 2,600 people.
"This recommendation shall not impede the Department’s authority to manage and operate the Developmental Centers, including but not limited to, moving individuals and staff to other Developmental Centers or the community, as appropriate, during the closure process," according to the report.
The supporting documents may be obtained by submitting a request through the Open Public Records Act, task force chairman Craig Domalewski said at the final meeting Wednesday.
The task force's choice, made at a July 23 meeting, came as a surprise to relatives and unions employees - many of whom said they assumed the Vineland Developmental Center would be picked because Gov. Chris Christie had already proposed closing the Cumberland County facility. Sen. Jeff Van Drew (D-Cape May), argued the county could not withstand the loss of jobs and proposed creating the task force to make the decision.
Van Drew addressed the task force twice and the Senate appointed Van Drew's Chief of Staff Allison Murphy, to sit on the panel.
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According to the report, the task force was expected to use five criteria to reach a decision:
* How many center residents or their guardians want or do not oppose community placement, and have the support of the resident's treatment team?
* What is the capacity of the community "to provide and or develop specialized services and supports to individuals with developmental disabilities or the time required to allow for the development of capacity to provide such specialized services?"
* What are the "operational needs" of the department to meet the preferences of all people with developmental disabilities the state serves?
* What is the economic impact on the community if a center were to close?
* How much would it cost to repair and maintain developmental centers that remain open?
"Upon weighing each of the five factors, the Task Force unanimously agreed that four centers should not be considered for closure at this time due, in part, to the operational needs of the Department of Human Services and the difficulty the department would have in replicating the services provided at these centers elsewhere in a cost effective way. Those centers include: Woodbine Developmental Center, New Lisbon Developmental Center, Hunterdon Developmental Center, and Green Brook Regional Center," according to the report.
Vineland would not be considered either, because the provider infrastructure in that (south Jersey) region was not as robust as in the northern part of the state and that closing Vineland may have a significant adverse impact on the local economy in Cumberland County, where the unemployment rate is already the highest in the State," the report said.
The task force also made nine non-binding recommendations for the department to consider as they close North Jersey and Woodbridge facilities. They include reinvesting all the money saved by closing the centers into new housing and services, and "honor the rights of residents to live in a developmental center if they so choose."
The report may be found at http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/news/hottopics/devcentclosure.html
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