I/DD Waivers in New Jersey

All states: Medicaid disability services map

New Jersey I/DD services at a glance

Last verified against state sources: 2026-10-23.

Who runs I/DD services in New Jersey?

The Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD), part of the New Jersey Department of Human Services, runs Medicaid home and community services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). It works with the Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services (DMAHS), the state Medicaid agency. Children and youth under 21 are served by a different department, the Department of Children and Families.

• DDD: runs the two adult programs, the Supports Program and the Community Care Program, decides eligibility, approves providers and sets rates. Adults apply through the DDD Community Services Office for the county where they live.
• DMAHS: the Medicaid agency. It holds the federal approval, the NJ FamilyCare Comprehensive Demonstration, that both adult programs run under. Provider claims are billed to NJ Medicaid through its claims system, run by Gainwell Technologies.
• Case management: each adult chooses a support coordination agency. These agencies are independent of service providers under a DDD conflict-free policy. The support coordinator keeps in touch at least monthly and records the work in DDD's iRecord system, according to DDD's care management page.
• Children and youth: the Department of Children and Families, Children's System of Care (CSOC), serves young people under 21. PerformCare is its contracted systems administrator (1-877-652-7624, open 24 hours), and Care Management Organizations write the plan of care.

What Medicaid waivers and programs serve people with I/DD in New Jersey?

New Jersey has no 1915(c) waiver for people with I/DD. A 1915(c) waiver is the federal Medicaid option most states use to pay for home and community services instead of institutional care. New Jersey instead runs its I/DD programs under its section 1115 demonstration, the NJ FamilyCare Comprehensive Demonstration (project number 11-W-00279/2), a broader federal approval. CMS renewed it on March 30, 2023 for April 1, 2023 to June 30, 2028.

• Supports Program (SP): serves adults 21 and older (or 18 to 21 once they have left school) who meet DDD's eligibility rules and are on Medicaid or have income up to 300 percent of the federal benefit rate. It has no waiting list. Services include Community Based Supports (one-to-one help at home and in the community), Day Habilitation, Prevocational Training, Supported Employment, Career Planning, Community Inclusion Services, Respite, Behavioral Supports, Cognitive Rehabilitation, occupational, physical and speech therapy, Support Coordination, Supports Brokerage, assistive technology and home and vehicle modifications, transportation, interpreter services and a personal emergency response system (PERS). Each person has an annual budget set by their NJCAT tier. Support coordination and fiscal intermediary services do not count against the budget. After a major life change, a person can get a one-time increase of up to $5,000 for up to a year (not for day program services). A person who needs private duty nursing can get only that service from Managed Long Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) while staying in the Supports Program.
• Community Care Program (CCP): the program for people with higher needs, including those who need residential services. It serves the same age group and requires the Intermediate Care Facility for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/ID) level of care and Medicaid income and resource rules. People enter from the waiting list, after an emergency such as being at immediate risk of homelessness, or through Olmstead transitions out of institutions. Services include Individual Supports (help at home or in a licensed residence such as a group home), the same day and employment services as the Supports Program, Community Transition Services, respite, behavioral supports, therapies and support coordination. The CCP moved from a 1915(c) waiver into the 1115 demonstration in 2017. Participants must get at least one program service each quarter plus support coordination and sign a CCP Participant Agreement. The federal terms let the state cap CCP enrollment with 60 days notice to CMS.
• Children's Support Services Program (I/DD): an 1115 program for youth under 21 who meet the Children's System of Care criteria for I/DD, including youth with both I/DD and mental illness. CSOC runs it, services are authorized through its administrative services organization and paid fee-for-service, and eligibility ends the day before the 21st birthday. We did not find a full list of its services.

DDD also operates five developmental centers as the institutional option for people with intensive needs: Green Brook Regional Center (for people 55 and older), Hunterdon, New Lisbon, Vineland and Woodbine.

Does New Jersey pay for I/DD services through managed care?

No. DDD home and community services are paid fee-for-service, meaning NJ Medicaid pays each enrolled, DDD-approved provider for each service it delivers. A person's regular medical care under the state plan comes through their NJ FamilyCare managed care plan, but the plan does not pay for or manage their I/DD services, according to the demonstration's special terms and conditions.

• Who pays claims: providers bill NJ Medicaid (the NJMMIS claims system, run by Gainwell Technologies). Self-directed services are paid through a fiscal intermediary.
• Who coordinates services: the person's support coordinator, from an independent support coordination agency, not a health plan.
• Children: the Children's Support Services Program (I/DD) is also fee-for-service, with services authorized through the Children's System of Care.

Is there a waiting list for I/DD services in New Jersey?

Yes, for the Community Care Program. DDD reports 3,665 people on the CCP Priority Waiting List for fiscal year 2026, in an update released in June 2025. There is no waiting list for the Supports Program, and people waiting for the CCP are offered the Supports Program if they qualify.

• Two lists: the CCP keeps a General list and a Priority list, and DDD works through them mostly in date order. People in an emergency can be served sooner.
• Priority status: a person needs at least one listed condition, such as both parents (or the main caregiving parent) being 55 or older, a non-parent caregiver who can no longer provide care, or a clear risk of abuse, neglect or exploitation, according to DDD's waiting list fact sheet. People are not moved from the General list to the Priority list automatically.
• Trend: the same DDD update shows the Priority list growing from 2,687 (FY24) to 3,154 (FY25) to 3,665 (FY26), with 28,783 people served by DDD in FY26. DDD says these values come from state budgets. The proposed FY26 budget included funding to move 318 people off the Priority list.
• Newer count: DDD sent its 2026 ranking letters in June 2026, but we did not find a newer published count.
• Children: the federal terms allow a waiting list for the Children's Support Services Program (I/DD). We did not find whether CSOC keeps one. Families can ask PerformCare.

How do people apply for I/DD services in New Jersey, and how are budgets set?

Adults 18 and older apply to DDD with the Application for Determination of Eligibility, and services can start at 21. DDD says a decision can take up to 60 days after a complete application. Once eligible, each person completes the NJ Comprehensive Assessment Tool (NJCAT), which places them in a tier that sets their annual budget.

• How to apply: send the application by email to DDD.NJApply@dhs.nj.gov, by mail, or in person at the DDD Community Services Office for the person's county. An online application is listed as coming soon. A short application is available for people already found eligible by CSOC (PerformCare) or DDD. For help before applying, email DDD.BeforeYouApply@dhs.nj.gov.
• Eligibility: a developmental disability that began before age 22, is expected to last for life and substantially limits at least three major life areas (DDD's Division Circular 3), plus U.S. citizenship, New Jersey residency and Medicaid eligibility or enrollment.
• NJCAT: the NJCAT measures support needs in self-care, behavior and medical areas. Scores are tabulated by the Rutgers Developmental Disabilities Planning Institute. The tier sets the Supports Program budget and also sets the rate tier for some services, such as Day Habilitation and Community Inclusion Services.
• Level of care for the CCP: DDD staff or support coordinators who are Qualified Intellectual Disability Professionals (QIDPs) check the ICF/ID level of care using items built into the NJCAT, and review it every year.
• Children: families of youth under 21 start with the Children's System of Care through PerformCare.

What day and residential services can I/DD providers offer in New Jersey?

Both adult programs offer Day Habilitation, Prevocational Training, Supported Employment, Career Planning and Community Inclusion Services. Day Habilitation needs a DDD certification for each location. Residential services are delivered as Individual Supports in the Community Care Program, in residences licensed by the Department of Human Services. We did not find a published staff ratio or a current billing unit for these services.

Day and employment services

• Day Habilitation: a facility and community day program for adults 21 and older. DDD expects age-appropriate activities, choice, regular time in the community, and small-group or one-to-one activities rather than large group outings. Providers need DDD Day Habilitation Certification: provisional certification before applying, a separate certification for each location, not transferable, good for one year, with a full DDD audit before it expires.
• Prevocational Training, Supported Employment and Career Planning: available in both programs. Prevocational training and supported employment come in individual and group formats.
• Community Inclusion Services: group activities in the community, with rates tiered by NJCAT tier. Available in both programs.
• Community Based Supports (Supports Program): one-to-one supports at home or in the community. These can also be delivered by workers the person hires through self-direction.

Residential services

• Individual Supports in licensed residences (CCP): group homes and other community residences. An agency must first be approved for Individual Supports and show at least 24 months of direct care for people with I/DD before it applies for a license. The DHS Office of Program Integrity and Accountability, Office of Licensing, licenses these homes under N.J.A.C. 10:44A, the state rule for community residences for people with developmental disabilities. A license is needed for provider-managed settings, for residents served through the CCP, or when the service plan shows a need for personal guidance.
• Other settings: we did not confirm how DDD treats host homes, supervised apartments or supported living. Ask DDD or the Office of Licensing.
• Developmental centers: the five state-run centers are institutional care, not home and community services.

How are I/DD provider rates set and how do agencies enroll in New Jersey?

DDD sets published fee-for-service rates, listed in the Supports Program and Community Care Program policy manuals and public notices. Many rates are tiered by the person's NJCAT tier. The latest increase took effect January 1, 2026. Agencies enroll by mailing a Combined Application to Gainwell Technologies.

• January 2026 rate increase: DDD raised rates for Career Planning, Community Inclusion Services, Community Based Supports, Day Habilitation, Individual Supports, Prevocational Training, Respite and Supported Employment effective January 1, 2026. The increase funds a wage raise of about $0.46 an hour for direct support professionals (DSPs) and their supervisors. Providers had to pass it through to base wages by March 1, 2026, back to January 1, and report on the pass-through to DDD in fall 2026, according to DDD's wage increase FAQ.
• Becoming a provider: review the policy manuals, get a National Provider Identifier (NPI) for each service location, and mail the Combined Application to Gainwell Technologies Provider Enrollment. Day Habilitation applicants need provisional DDD certification first, and support coordination agencies must submit a conflict-free policy. Steps are on DDD's provider application page. Questions go to DDD.ProviderHelpdesk@dhs.nj.gov.
• EVV: electronic visit verification (EVV) applies to in-home visits. Phase 1 covered Individual Supports, Behavioral Supports, In-Home Respite and Physical Therapy, and Phase 2 added Community Based Supports, Occupational Therapy and Speech, Language and Hearing Therapy. Congregate settings and live-in caregivers are exempt, according to DDD's visit verification page.
• EVV system: HHAeXchange is the free state system. Agencies may use their own EVV system if it is integrated with HHAeXchange. An agency that cannot bill through HHAeXchange cannot bill these services, according to the state's EVV compliance notice. Self-directed workers use Acumen DCI or Easterseals NJ.

What is changing next for I/DD services in New Jersey?

As of October 23, 2026, we did not find a confirmed change with a set date for New Jersey's I/DD services. The main item ahead is a refreshed NJCAT assessment, which DDD expects to launch in late 2027. That date is DDD's estimate, not a final decision.

• Refreshed NJCAT: on September 24, 2026, DDD posted tracked changes for an updated NJCAT on its NJCAT page. It is not in use yet. Because the NJCAT tier sets budgets and some rates, providers and families should watch for DDD notices on how the change will be rolled out.
• Recent policy updates: DDD issued Unit Authorization and Billing Parameters for Behavioral Supports on September 15, 2026, and an updated Housing Policy on Development of Provider-Managed Settings on August 18, 2026, as amendments to its policy manuals.
• The 1115 demonstration: the current approval runs to June 30, 2028. We did not find a renewal notice yet.
• Rates for FY2027: we did not confirm any FY2027 rate change. Ask DDD or watch its provider notices.

New Jersey I/DD sources

• NJ Division of Developmental Disabilities: Programs and Services
• NJ DMAHS: NJ FamilyCare 1115 Comprehensive Demonstration
• NJ FamilyCare Comprehensive Demonstration: Special Terms and Conditions (technical corrections, November 7, 2023)
• NJ DDD: Waiting list
• NJ DDD: Community Care Program Priority Waiting List update (June 2025)
• NJ DDD: Waiting list fact sheet
• NJ DDD: NJ Comprehensive Assessment Tool (NJCAT)
• NJ DDD: Apply to become a provider
• NJ DDD: FY26 DSP wage increase FAQ
• NJ DDD: Electronic visit verification

Related reading

• Disability Services and Independent Living Guide
• Essential Acronyms in Disability Services: A Quick Reference Guide
• Disability Services DayHab has a dilemma - how to solve it
• Outcome Measures in Disability Services: Measuring what matters
• I/DD services in every state (map)
• New Jersey EVV requirements

Page history

• October 23, 2026: Page rewritten and checked against state sources.

This page is a reference, not legal advice. State rules change, so confirm details with the state before you act on them.

Ankota provides software for I/DD provider agencies, including EVV, service documentation, goal tracking and billing. If you would like to talk through your program, contact Ankota or read more about Ankota's I/DD software.