A support coordinator who stays in your corner, from turning 21 to every yearly plan.
Priority Group Services NJ is an approved New Jersey DDD Support Coordination Agency. We serve families in Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Somerset counties, helping adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities plan services, choose providers and keep everything on track. Choosing us, or switching to us, is your decision.
One person who knows the plan, the providers and the paperwork
In New Jersey, everyone enrolled in a DDD program has a support coordinator. That person turns the program into real, day-to-day help.
Builds the plan with you
We sit down with your loved one and your family to understand goals, routines and what matters most, then write the Individualized Service Plan (ISP) around them.
Finds the right providers
We explain the services in the plan, share the approved providers that fit, and help you set them up. You choose who you work with.
Stays in touch every month
DDD expects at least one contact a month, in person, by phone or by video call. We use it to check that services are actually happening.
Adjusts when life changes
A new job, a move, a hospital stay or a change at home: we update the plan and the services with you.
Explains your options
Including self-direction, where families take a bigger role in choosing and managing some supports. We explain how it works so you can decide.
Handles the paperwork with you
Forms, signatures, renewals and the questions DDD asks along the way. You will always know what is due and why.
Want a different support coordinator? Switching takes three steps.
If your loved one is enrolled in the Supports Program or the Community Care Program, you have the right to change support coordination agencies.
Talk to us first
Call (201) 305-0936 or send a referral. We will listen to what is not working now and tell you honestly whether we can help.
Complete DDD's change form
The Support Coordination Agency Change Form goes to DDD. We can go through it with you so nothing is missed.
Start with us the following month
DDD makes the change at the beginning of the next month. Your new coordinator reviews the current plan with you and picks up from there.
Turning 21? Start the DDD steps at 18.
DDD services can begin at 21, but you can apply as early as 18. Families who start early avoid a gap when school services end.
Around 18: Medicaid and SSI
Everyone in a DDD program must be enrolled in Medicaid. At 18, Social Security stops counting parents' income and resources, so this is often when families apply for SSI.
From 18: apply to DDD
Submit the DDD eligibility application with the supporting documents. DDD allows up to 60 days to decide.
Assessment
The New Jersey Comprehensive Assessment Tool (NJCAT) looks at the person's support needs and helps set the level of support in their program.
At 21: enroll and choose a support coordination agency
Your loved one enrolls in a DDD program and is connected with a support coordinator, who builds the first plan with you.
Not sure where you are in this process? Call us. We will tell you the next step in plain language, even if you are not ready to choose an agency yet.
The two DDD programs, in plain words
Both programs sit under New Jersey's Medicaid program, the NJ FamilyCare Comprehensive Demonstration. Many families still call it "the Comprehensive Waiver".
| Supports Program | Community Care Program | |
|---|---|---|
| Waiting list | No waiting list for enrollment | Has a waiting list |
| Who it is for | Eligible adults 21 and over enrolled in Medicaid | Eligible adults who also meet an "institutional" level of care |
| Hourly one-to-one support | Community-Based Supports | Individual Supports |
| Support coordination | Yes | Yes |
| Can change agency | Yes | Yes |
Your support coordinator explains which services your loved one's program includes and how the yearly budget works.
We work for your family, not for a provider
Conflict-free, by design
DDD's conflict-free rules say the agency that coordinates your services does not also deliver them. We coordinate in Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Somerset counties and provide direct services only in other counties, so we never do both for the same person. As your coordinator, we put the approved options in front of you and you choose.
Where we coordinate
We provide support coordination in Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Somerset counties, meeting families in person, by phone or by video call. Our office is at 211 Warren Street in Newark. Live in another county? Call us and we will help you find an agency that serves it.
Your language
Tell us which language your family is most comfortable in and we will arrange an interpreter for meetings. ¿Prefiere hablar en español? Díganoslo y organizamos un intérprete.
Eligibility, at a glance
DDD serves New Jersey residents with a lifelong disability that began before age 22 and substantially limits at least three major life areas, who are eligible for or enrolled in Medicaid. Services start at 21.
Support coordination FAQ
How do I choose a support coordination agency in New Jersey?
Families choose. DDD's online Provider Search Tool lists support coordination agencies by county, language and distance from home. Call two or three, ask how often you will hear from your coordinator, who covers when they are away, and how quickly they call back. You are welcome to ask us the same questions.
Can I switch support coordination agencies?
Yes, if your loved one is enrolled in the Supports Program or the Community Care Program. You complete DDD's Support Coordination Agency Change Form and send it to DDD. We can walk you through it on the phone.
When does a change of agency take effect?
DDD makes the change at the beginning of the following month. Your new coordinator then reviews the current plan with you.
How often will our support coordinator be in touch?
DDD expects support coordinators to meet with you at least once a month, in person, by phone or by video call. You can reach us in between whenever something changes.
Do families pay for support coordination?
Support coordination is a service of your loved one's DDD program, which runs through Medicaid. Families are not billed by us for it.
Which counties do you cover for support coordination?
We provide support coordination to families living in Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Somerset counties. Live somewhere else? Call us anyway and we will point you to DDD's list of agencies that serve your county.
Can you be our support coordinator and also provide our direct support staff?
No. Under DDD's conflict-free rules, the agency that coordinates your services does not also provide them. As your coordinator, we show you the approved providers that fit your plan and you choose.
My son or daughter is 17 or 18. Is it too early to call?
No, it is the right time. You can apply to DDD from age 18, and services can start at 21. Starting early leaves time for Medicaid, the eligibility decision and the assessment.
We are not sure our loved one is eligible. Can we still talk to you?
Yes. Call us and we will explain DDD's eligibility rules in plain language and what to gather for the application.
Ready to start, or to switch?
Send a referral or call us. A member of our New Jersey team will call you back within two business hours.