Disability Services & Advocacy, LLC: Support Coordination Agency

In 1997, the New Jersey Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) initiated the first iteration of self-directed budgeting and independent case management through the Self-Determination Initiative. DDD consumers selected for this pilot program worked with Support Brokers similarly to how DDD consumers work with Support Coordinators today, identifying and coordinating supports and services to be

purchased through a state-funded budget for the betterment of their daily lives. The President of Disability Services & Advocacy, William England, began practicing Support Brokering in 2001. With a strong belief in individual choice, he eagerly awaited the state-wide privatization of case management and an opportunity to support more DDD consumers in this capacity. After case management was privatized in 2013, Disability Services & Advocacy became one of the first Support Coordination Agencies licensed under the Fee-for-Service system in New Jersey. Subsequently, DS&A was one of the first Support Coordination Agencies released to self-approve Individualized Service Plans.