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In 1983, the Executive Director of The Arc of New Jersey (formerly
the Association for Retarded Citizens of New Jersey) demonstrated
to Governor Thomas Kean that some types of mental retardation could
be prevented. However, the degree to which the state was engaging
in prevention activities was not known. In response, Governor Kean
established the Governor's Council on Prevention of Mental Retardation
by Executive Order. In 1985, the Governor's Council on Prevention
of Mental Retardation completed its investigation and published
its findings in the report, Programs for Preventing the Causes
of Mental Retardation.
Following the publication of the report, The
Arc of New Jersey was awarded a special purpose grant by the Department
of Human Services, Division of Developmental Disabilities to begin
mobilizing community prevention efforts. In the Spring of 1986,
three regional conferences were held to present the report findings
to the public and to organize networks to assist in the implementation
of some of the recommendations included in the report. A network
of individuals and agencies interested in prevention of mental
retardation and other developmental disabilities resulted from
the conferences and formed what is now the New Jersey Coalition
for Prevention of Developmental Disabilities.
The Coalition for Prevention also began to work
closely with the New Jersey Legislature to enact New Jersey Public
Law 1987, Chapter 5. This legislation established a permanent
Governor's Council on the Prevention of Mental Retardation (renamed
the Governor's Council on the Prevention of Mental Retardation
and Developmental Disabilities by Executive Order 178.) The Governor's
Council is composed of thirty-one members. Twenty-five members
are appointed by the Governor to represent consumers, professionals
in the field of developmental disabilities, and the health and
business communities. The commissioners of six state agencies
are also members of the Governor's Council and include the Departments
of Human Services, Community Affairs, Education, Environmental
Protection. Health and Senior Services, and the Secretary of State.
The Governor's Council serves as the advisory
body to the Office for Prevention of Mental Retardation and Developmental
Disabilities. Established by the same legislation, the Office
for Prevention is located in the Department of Human Services.
The goal of the Office for Prevention is to reduce the frequency
of occurrence of severe chronic mental or physical disabilities
that originate due to actions taken before conception, birth,
during birth, or during the developmental years. This goal is
pursued by many means, including:
*** Education of the public regarding the
preventable causes of disabilities, such as ingesting leaded paint
or maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy. The Office for
Prevention sponsors a small grant program that provides funds
to community agencies, schools, hospitals and other non-profit
agencies to implement prevention education programs.
*** Alerting health care providers and others
to new discoveries that suggest ways to reduce the risks of permanent
damage to children before, during, or after birth. For example
improved obstetric practice is credited with a marked reduction
in the number of children who are disabled by cerebral palsy or
the administration of folic acid (Vitamin B) prior to and during
pregnancy holds much promise in the prevention of neural tube
defects.
*** Publicizing newly discovered causes
of disability that arise from societal or environmental changes.
For example, severe disability has been found in infants whose
mothers are heroin users or who are infected with HIV and these
disabilities may be mitigated by women taking the drug, AZT, during
pregnancy.
*** Fostering coordination among different
agencies, each of which may be part of the solution to a problem.
For example, the Interagency Task Force on the Prevention of Lead
Poisoning brings together representatives from diverse communities
to work together to educate families and communities about reducing
the risks of exposure to lead.
*** Stimulating research to push forward
the frontiers of biomedical knowledge.
*** Advocating for changes in social conditions
that endanger children. For example, the Governor's Council and
Office for Prevention are the primary supporters of the New Jersey
SAFE KIDS campaign.
The Office for Prevention, in conjunction with
the Governor's Council, is also responsible for coordinating the
implementation of New Jersey's developmental disabilities prevention
plan. The Office works closely with representatives of state agencies
that engage in prevention activities to insure the effectiveness
of these efforts.
From 1988 to 1997, the Office for Prevention
was the recipient of a cooperative agreement from the Department
of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. The federal funds were used to support additional
prevention activities, including prevention of secondary disabilities.
In 1999, the Office for Prevention was one of
twelve grants awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) to participate in the Community Education Lead
Poisoning Prevention Program. Working in collaboration with the
New Jersey Head Start Association and the Lead Prevention Educator
Program of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
- School of Osteopathic Medicine, the Get a Head Start on
Lead Initiative is educating the Head Start community
about ways to minimize the risks of exposure to lead.
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