About The Arc of Bergen and Passaic Counties
The Arc of Bergen and Passaic Counties is a non-profit organization that has been serving individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities for over 60 years. The organization was founded in 1950 by a group of parents who were seeking services for their children with disabilities. Today, The Arc of Bergen and Passaic Counties provides a wide range of programs and services to individuals with disabilities, as well as their families.
One of the primary goals of The Arc is to help individuals with disabilities achieve greater independence and inclusion in their communities. To this end, the organization offers a variety of programs designed to meet the unique needs of each individual. These programs include residential services, day programs, vocational training, recreational activities, advocacy services, and more.
Residential Services
The Arc provides residential services to individuals who require assistance with daily living activities. These services include group homes, supervised apartments, supportive living arrangements (SLAs), respite care, and more. Each program is tailored to meet the specific needs of each individual.
Day Programs
The Arc's day programs provide opportunities for individuals with disabilities to learn new skills and participate in meaningful activities. These programs include vocational training (such as job coaching), life skills training (such as cooking or budgeting), recreational activities (such as sports or art classes), socialization opportunities (such as dances or parties), and more.
Vocational Training
The Arc's vocational training program helps individuals with disabilities develop job skills that will enable them to find employment in their communities. This program includes job coaching (which involves working one-on-one with an employment specialist), on-the-job training (which involves working at an actual job site under supervision), resume writing assistance, interview preparation assistance, and more.
Recreational Activities
The Arc offers a variety of recreational activities designed specifically for individuals with disabilities. These activities include sports teams (such as basketball or softball teams), art classes (where participants can explore their creativity through painting or drawing), music therapy sessions (where participants can express themselves through music), dance parties (where participants can socialize while dancing to music).
Advocacy Services
In addition to providing direct support services to individuals with disabilities, The Arc also advocates on behalf of these individuals at the local,state,and national levels.The organization works closelywith legislators,policy makers,and other stakeholders,to ensure that peoplewithdisabilities have access t othe resources they needto live fullandmeaningful lives.In addition,theArcprovidesinformationandreferral servicestoindividuals,families,andprofessionalswhoareseekingassistancewithdisability-relatedissues.Theseadvocacyservicesarecriticalinhelpingtoensurethatpeoplewithdisabilitieshaveequalaccessandopportunitiesintheircommunities.
Overall,theArcofBergenandPassaicCountiesisdedicatedtoimprovingthelivesofindividualswithdevelopmentalandintellectualdisabilities.Theorganizationoffersawiderangeofprogramstomeettheunique needsofeachindividual.Theseprogramsincludeeverythingfromresidentialservicesanddayprograms,tojobtrainingandrecreationalactivities.Inaddition,theArcadvocatesonbehalfofpeoplewithdisabilitiestoensurethattheyhavetheopportunitiestheyneedtolivefull,livesinthecommunity.Ifyouorafamilymemberislookingforassistancewithadisability-relatedissue,youcanrelyontheexpertiseandsupportoftheArcofBergenandPassaicCounties.