LEGISLATIVE ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR AWARD

Senate President
Steve Sweeney entered public service after his daughter was born with Down syndrome. Horrified at the manner in which individuals with disabilities were treated, he vowed to make a difference in not just his daughter’s life, but in the lives of those in his community. He has been a leading advocate impacting numerous laws to protect individuals with disabilities. Two bills which he sponsored in 2018 have been approved, and are now strengthening protections for students with disabilities and relieving the burden of costs of motor vehicle registrations for drivers of persons with disabilities.

Previously, Senator Sweeney worked to establish a registry of offenders of individuals with developmental disabilities to prevent continued abuse, wrote the law that changed references of “mental retardation” to “intellectual disability” or “developmental disability,” authored legislation that prohibits discrimination against organ transplant recipients on the basis of mental or physical disability, a law requiring that school districts ensure that students with disabilities have opportunities to participate in athletic activities, and a measure requiring that school buses transporting disabled persons use flashing lights. Sweeney has also fought for state funding for programs and housing for those with developmental disabilities.

Senate President Steve Sweeney represents the Third Legislative District, which includes portions of Gloucester and Cumberland counties and all of Salem County. He served on the Gloucester County Board of Chosen Freeholders from 1997 to 2010 and was Freeholder Director from 1998 until 2010. First elected to the New Jersey Senate in 2001, he has been reelected five times. He was chosen by the Democratic Majority to lead the Senate in 2009 and was selected by his Senate Democratic colleagues to maintain his leadership position again in 2013 and 2017. Senator Sweeney was born on June 11, 1959 in Camden and is a graduate of Pennsauken High School. Senator Sweeney and his wife, Patti, were married in 1986. They live in West Deptford and have two children, Stephen and Lauren.

We set a new course of action for the next five years

With our son at the table, we recently gathered the whole family and reevaluated many aspects of the plan that directs his lifestyle….

We would like to sincerely thank PLAN|NJ

We would like to sincerely thank PLAN|NJ for everything — your services, your help and your caring….

Each small change presents a new adjustment

Each small change in my son’s health presents a new adjustment that we all must make: a new exercise protocol, a new doctor, a new work environment or residential program….

Top 7 Reasons to Choose PLAN|NJ – One parent’s view:

TRUST You can unequivocally trust the staff at PLAN|NJ to care about your loved one as if they were a member of their own family (which they figuratively become when you choose PLAN|NJ)…

Our family highly recommends and wholeheartedly endorses PLAN|NJ

“Our family highly recommends and wholeheartedly endorses PLAN|NJ to anyone looking for help caring for and protecting a loved one with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Our daughter is 17 years old and has IDD…

WE REST EASIER

“We rest easier knowing there is a comprehensive plan in place for our daughter that will assist others in guiding her day-to-day life, as well as her long-term stability and well-being, when we are no longer here.”
~Parent

A TRUE APPRECIATION

“I have a true appreciation for PLAN|NJ because in view of COVID-19 and all of the shut downs and quarantines, PLAN|NJ has continued steady operations throughout the pandemic.”

~Parent

CIRCLE OF SUPPORT

People with Disabilities

Families & Friends

Attorneys & Financial Planners

Human Service Providers

WE’RE IN THIS TOGETHER!

One in four adults in the United States lives with an intellectual,

developmental, or physical disability or a mental health challenge. 

 

Your tax-deductible donation will help us enhance the quality of life for more people with disabilities and their families through services that promote self-determination, provide exemplary care coordination, and guide them in their financial affairs. Please help support our work by making a contribution today!

DONATE TODAY

GET IN TOUCH

Planned Lifetime Assistance Network of New Jersey (PLAN/NJ)
PO Box 547
Somerville, NJ 08876-0547
908-575-8300 (Phone)
908-927-9010 (Fax)
info@plannj.org

PROUD MEMBERS OF

Alliance for the Betterment of Citizens with Disabilities
Association of People Supporting Employment First
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Guardianship Association
National PLAN Alliance

OUR MISSION

PLAN|NJ’s mission is to help families of individuals with disabilities answer all of the challenging questions embedded within the larger one: “Who will care for my loved one when I am gone?”

We coordinate the supports needed by individuals with intellectual, developmental and physical disabilities, and challenges with mental health, including people with autism, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, severe mental illness and more.