Welcome to The Boggs Center
About The CenterOur Mission
The Boggs Center, as a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, values uniqueness and individuality and promotes the self-determination and full participation of people with disabilities and their families in all aspects of community life. As a catalyst and resource, The Boggs Center, through partnerships and collaborations, builds capacity in organizations, systems, and communities in a culturally competent manner. The Boggs Center prepares students through interdisciplinary programs, provides community training and technical assistance, conducts research, and disseminates information and educational materials.
News
Spring Issue of Direct Support Professional Quarterly
The Spring 2023 Issue of Direct Support Professional Quarterly, a newsletter with content to inform, educate, and inspire New Jersey’s DSP workforce, is now available. In this issue, readers will find articles on DSP competencies, community integration, professional development and training opportunities, and highlights about some of the great work DSPs in NJ are doing. Read the Spring Issue
The Boggs Center Celebrates Graduation of 2022-2023 NJLEND Fellows
On May 5th, 2023, The Boggs Center celebrated the graduation of the 2022-2023 NJLEND Fellows at the New Jersey Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (NJLEND) program’s 7th annual Maternal and Child Health Leadership Symposium. Held in New Brunswick, the symposium was attended by those from the Rutgers community, Children’s Specialized Hospital, SPAN Parent Advocacy Network, and other state and community organizations. Read more about the event and view NJLEND Leadership Project Posters.
Episode 16 of BoggsCast Now Available: Disability & Health Equity with Kara Ayers
The Boggs Center is excited to share the latest episode of BoggsCast, a podcast where faculty and staff explore best practice, showcase success stories, and help listeners envision possibilities for innovation through interviews with state and national experts. In this episode, Kara Ayers, PhD, Associate Director of the University of Cincinnati Center for Excellence in Developmental, discusses topics in disability and health equity, including parenting with a disability, addressing ableism, person-first and identity-first language, and healthcare inequities for people with disabilities.
The Boggs Center Celebrates New Jersey Partners in Policymaking 2023 Graduates
The Boggs Center celebrated the graduation of its sixth Partners in Policymaking Class on Saturday, April 22, 2023, in New Brunswick. This year’s class of 4 people with disabilities, 17 parents, and 1 sibling join more than 30,000 graduates across the country ready to collaborate with policymakers to increase the inclusion, self-determination, and well-being of people with disabilities. Read more the event and learn about applying for the 2023-2024 Partners program.
Deborah M. Spitalnik, PhD, Executive Director of The Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities and Professor of Pediatrics and Family Medicine & Community Health at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, participated in the invitational meeting, “Communities in Action: Building a Better New Jersey” at the White House on March 29, 2023. Read more about the event
Publications
Deciding to Self-Direct: Making Choices, Becoming Empowered
The Boggs Center developed Deciding to Self-Direct, the latest guide in the Making Choices, Becoming Empowered series for people with developmental disabilities. People receiving support through NJ’s Division of Developmental Disabilities can choose to self-direct some or all of their services. Available in English and Spanish, this guide helps readers to think about their lives and whether self-directed services are right for them.
Vaccinate to Keep Kids Healthy! Fact Sheet and Poster
Preventing disease is always better than treating it. Vaccines protect against diseases that once caused serious illness, disability, and death, including COVID-19. With funding from the federal Administration for Community Living, The Boggs Center developed new resources for parents of young children to promote and explain the benefits of following the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) immunization recommendations to keep kids healthy. Vaccinate to Keep Kids Healthy! fact sheets in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Portuguese, and Tagalog, as well as an 11” x 17” English/Spanish poster, are now available on The Boggs Center’s website. Read More About Vaccinate to Keep Kids Healthy
COVID-19 Vaccine Resources for the Developmental Disabilities Community
The Boggs Center developed two resources to provide information about COVID-19 vaccines and help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities understand what to expect before, during, and after vaccination. COVID-19 Vaccine Facts for the Developmental Disabilities Community and Getting a COVID Vaccine: A Social Story for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities are available in English and Spanish.
Exploring Possibilities & Supports: An Information Gathering Toolkit
This resource provides people with developmental disabilities, family members, and Support Coordinators with Person-Centered Thinking and Charting the LifeCourse tools and concepts to use when exploring life possibilities and planning for supports. The information gathered can be used, together with conversations, to inform the person-centered planning process and development of the Person-Centered Planning Tool and New Jersey Individualized Service Plan. Available in English and Spanish.
Selecting a Support Coordination Agency: Making Choices, Becoming Empowered
People receiving support through New Jersey’s Division of Developmental Disabilities are able to choose the agency they receive support coordination services from. Selecting a Support Coordination Agency: Making Choices, Becoming Empowered provides information and ideas that can help in the selection process. Available in English and Spanish.
