@DebraFlagg

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CONNECTED Nj was an idea that was created from my personal years of difficulty raising my child with a vague diagnosis of being developmentally disabled and not classified as severe. In the mid 1980’s, I was unable to get needed supports such as respite, speech therapy or early intervention for him because these services did not exist or I didn't have the income to pay for private specialists.

Today, through determination and love my son and I, as well as our trained staff continue to advocate for our community and experience self- enrichment, independence and the ability to be a contributing asset to society...one step at a time. All of us have our own story to tell and we know the feelings of helplessness. One might say that out of frustration and "burn-out" we decided to become navigators for others.

We know the issues and problems. We've been out here for a very long time and can also see that nothing is permanent. It's time to try another way of getting what we need. We must also rethink our strategies as we face a tremendous national deficit, cuts to services and so on. So, while the list of people who need services gets longer, we can work together to find a way to get "CONNECTED".

Connected Nj's Mission Statement....
“OUR GOAL IS TO PROVIDE EFFECTIVE CONSULTATION AND DIRECTION FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND THEIR FAMILIES”.
This doesn’t mean we can solve every issue, but with determination and skill we will use our knowledge to brainstorm and research any resource available; maybe we can create new things as well. Everyone’s' needs are different and we must embrace changes for our community. It's been too long for all of us who have been waiting.

Sincerely,
Debra Morris-Flagg