Nonprofit Newswire | Strange Accounts—New Jersey and Institutionalization

May 10, 2010; Press of Atlantic City | This article from New Jersey is a strange mix of social history and current events but it really does not do justice to either. At base, it tries to make sense of what is happening in the field of treatment for people with “developmental and mental conditions.” Among other things we learn from this article is that New Jersey has three times the national average rate of institutionalization of these populations—34.9 people per 100,000 residents as compared to the 12.9 people that is the national average. Budget considerations are causing legislators to rethink this situation and look more closely at community-based programs. The article states that “increased use of nonprofit vendors rather than state social services has bipartisan support: Assemblyman Lou Greenwald, D-Camden, said Friday he supports community-based groups taking the strain off those (state) agencies.” Greenwald has put forward a bill to provide that “developmentally disabled individuals, their loved ones and their care teams to work together to decide whether institutionalization or a community setting is more appropriate.” Elsewhere in the article is more information about the caps on nonprofit CEO salaries being proposed in New Jersey along with caps on travel and staff training.—Ruth McCambridge