Department of Human Services | Hunterdon Developmental Center

Hunterdon Developmental Center (HDC), located on 102 acres in Clinton, Hunterdon County, opened in 1969. HDC provides a broad spectrum of behavioral, medical and habilitation services to women and men with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the entire State of New Jersey, including developmental centers (centers). Please take a moment to review the COVID-19 Response Plan that outlines protocols in place related to COVID-19 at the centers.

If you are interested in the overall number of COVID-19 positive residents and staff at any center, please review our data dashboard. It is updated every week and can be found in the Developmental Disabilities section of the Department of Human Services COVID-19 Information Hub.

Under certain parameters, outdoor and indoor visits are permitted for center residents. Regardless of vaccination status of residents or visitors, outdoor visitation is preferred as it generally poses a lower risk of COVID-19 transmission due to increased space and airflow. Consent by a resident’s guardian, as applicable, is required for indoor visitation. Visitor(s) are required to undergo screening, COVID-19 testing, and sign a Visitor’s Agreement at time of visit for any visit to take place. While vaccination is highly encouraged, visitors are not required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to engage in a visit.

Indoor and outdoor visits are permitted for all residents except in the circumstances outlined below:

The resident, regardless of vaccination status, has confirmed COVID-19 infection and has not met the criteria to discontinue transmission-based precautions: CDC Discontinuation of Transmission-Based Precautions and Disposition of Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Healthcare Settings;
The resident, regardless of vaccination status, has confirmed exposure (within 6 feet for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period) to someone with COVID-19 infection and has not met criteria for release from isolation: CDC Updated Healthcare Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations in Response to COVID-19 Vaccination;
Regardless of vaccination status of the resident, the resident’s living area has experienced at least one new resident or staff COVID-19 infection. In this circumstance, visitation in that area shall be suspended until relevant outbreak testing of all residents and staff in that living area has concluded yielding no new positive cases in residents and 14 days have passed since the last positive resident case.

Due to the above, residents living in areas that are designated as an Active Positive or Resident Isolation will be unable to receive visitors until they move to another type of living area. More information on living area types can be found in the Isolation, Cohorting, Universal Masking and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) on page 5 of the COVID-19 Response Plan.

Any type of visit needs to be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance and comport with the center’s regular visitation schedule. Visits will occur in a designated location and be socially distanced at least six feet between persons at all times. The number of visitors a resident can receive at any one time shall be limited to two. The number of visits that can be accommodated each day by the center may be limited to ensure there is no overcrowding; sanitation of the visiting area can occur between visits; and all residents have the opportunity to engage in a visit.

Please see the COVID-19 Response Plan for more detailed information.

Contact information:

Hunterdon Developmental Center
PO Box 4003
40 Pittstown Road
Clinton, NJ 08809-4003
Phone: 908-735-4031
Fax: 908-730-1311