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
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, Katherine McLaughlin, MEd, Elevatus Training Founder, CEO, and Lead Trainer, discusses sexuality and developmental disabilities.
Bethany Chase, MSW, LSW, CESP Authors Article in Frontline Initiative
Bethany Chase, MSW, LSW, CESP, Training and Consultation Specialist, authored Employment for All: Dismantling Myths of Disability and Employment in Frontline Initiative, a newsletter published by the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) and the Research and Training Center on Community Living. The article dispels common misconceptions that create barriers for people with disabilities seeking rewarding careers. Read the article in Frontline Initiative
Supported Decision-Making and CYVYC State Team Featured in New Jersey Lawyer Magazine
December’s issue of New Jersey Lawyer magazine features an article on the importance of supported decision-making in disrupting the pipeline from special education into guardianship. The article highlights the work of New Jersey’s Center for Youth Voice, Youth Choice (CYVYC) State Team for Advancing Alternatives to Guardianship to promote self-determination and supported decision-making. The State Team represents a partnership between Disability Rights New Jersey, The New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities, The Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities, SPAN Parent Advocacy Network, and youth ambassadors with disabilities working together to create lasting systemic reform. Read the article in New Jersey Lawyer magazine
Melissa Cheplic, MPH, NADD-DDS, Presents at Annual NADD Conference
Melissa Cheplic, MPH, NADD-DDS, Senior Training and Consultation Specialist presented two workshops at the 39th Annual Virtual NADD Conference on December 7th, 2022, “Assessment of Mental Health Symptoms in IDD” and “A Collaborative Effort to Develop Mental Health Services for Children with IDD.” Read more about NADD Conference presentations
Boggs Center Faculty Present at Annual AUCD Conference
Deborah M. Spitalnik, PhD and Carrie Coffield, PhD contributed their expertise through presentations at the annual Association for University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) Conference held in Washington, D.C. from November 13-16, 2022. Both presentations aligned with this year’s conference theme, “Health Equity: Serving the Whole Person.” Read more about Boggs Center Faculty AUCD Presentations
Publications
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.
The flu shot is the best way to protect against the flu! Check out The Boggs Center’s Fight the Flu fact sheet and Getting a Flu Shot social story to learn more about the importance of getting a flu vaccine and what to expect when getting the shot. Available in English and Spanish.
