Autism New Jersey Expands Reach in Partnership with DOH County Case Managers

Autism New Jersey is excited to announce our new partnership with the NJ Department of Health’s (DOH) Special Child Health Services (SCHS) Case Management Units (CMUs). Working closely with SCHS Case Managers, our staff will serve as their Autism Resource Specialists and support SCHS’s efforts to ensure parents of children with autism have access to information and their children can get prompt, coordinated care.

SCHS falls under the DOH’s Division of Family Health Services (FHS), whose ongoing mission is to protect and promote the health of mothers, children, and adolescents while reducing health disparities by ensuring access to quality comprehensive systems of care. SCHS pursues that mission by supporting programs and services intended to promote children’s access to comprehensive, community based, culturally competent, family-centered care. Our partnership is just one more way that SCHS works to accomplish that goal.

Leveraging our 800.4.AUTISM Helpline, we are working closely with SCHS CMUs in every New Jersey county. Under this partnership, we share our expertise in navigating services, rights, entitlements, and treatments for individuals with autism.

Through highly individualized advocacy and targeted resources, Autism New Jersey is poised to support Case Managers as they help families in a variety of areas, from troubleshooting insurance coverage for autism treatment, addressing safety and treatment options for severe challenging behavior, and accessing appropriate special education and related services.

“Our case managers are on the front lines helping children and youth with special healthcare needs every day,” notes Dawn Mergen, RN, the Program Manager for Family Centered Care Services within Special Child Health & Early Intervention Services.  “This new partnership with Autism New Jersey will give our dedicated case managers another tool to help families and meet the complex needs of the children with autism who we serve.”

Last year, 1,516 families and professionals spoke directly with our 800.4.AUTISM Helpline staff. An additional 236,600 unique visitors accessed helpline-related content on our website, and 10,356 sought providers through our online referral database. “To fulfill our mission, we are always seeking ways to expand our reach,” added Jon Gottlieb, Autism New Jersey’s Director of Information Services. “We appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with SCHS Case Managers on our shared goal to improve the lives of children with autism throughout the state.”