Skylands Earns Top Marks From New Jersey
/The Skylands Center program has received the equivalent of "all A's" on its annual report card from the state of New Jersey.
Like all community-based programs in New Jersey for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, Skylands is licensed and partially funded by the state Department of Human Services (DHS) Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD).
Each year the DHS issues a Report Card rating each program in three major categories. In the recently released report card for 2022, Skylands received the state's maximum rating of three green stars in each category, for a rating of three green stars overall.
The three categories are:
Compliance with state health and safety standards.
Timely corrections of any licensing deficiencies.
Timely reporting of critical events to DHS.
Ratings in the health and safety category are based on scheduled and unannounced inspections of our day habilitation center and two group homes by state personnel.
Skylands has a long history of receiving high evaluations from the state. The perfect score for 2022 was accomplished as staff were still dealing with the challenges of the Covid pandemic. And that crisis came on the heels of Skylands' conversion to the Medicaid Fee for Service financing system, which required extensive training and adjustments by the Skylands community.
"We're not just surviving, we're thriving," said Nicole D'Ambrosi, executive director.
"And that reflects the commitment of Skylands staff to the well-being of the individuals we support."
On the state Report Card, Skylands was listed in a tier of 57 community programs that served up to 50 consumers. Skylands was among 24 of those programs that earned three-star ratings.