2.The Direct Support Professional Career Development Program shall be established by the New Jersey Community College Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development at one of its Centers for Workforce Innovation as part of the New Jersey Pathways to Career Opportunities Initiative. The program shall also establish two additional program sites, one located at a county college in the northern region of the State, and one located at a county college in the southern region of the State. The Secretary of Higher Education, in consultation with the New Jersey Council of County Colleges, shall select the location for the program's additional sites. The program shall be guided by an advisory council that includes representatives from target school districts, county colleges, and One-Stop Career
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2. The Direct Support Professional Career Development Program shall be established by the New Jersey Community College Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development at one of its Centers for Workforce Innovation as part of the New Jersey Pathways to Career Opportunities Initiative. The program shall also establish two additional program sites, one located at a county college in the northern region of the State, and one located at a county college in the southern region of the State. The Secretary of Higher Education, in consultation with the New Jersey Council of County Colleges, shall select the location for the program's additional sites. The program shall be guided by an advisory council that includes representatives from target school districts, county colleges, and One-Stop Career Centers, and representatives from each of the following stakeholder groups: people with disabilities, family members of people with disabilities, direct support professionals, frontline supervisors, and service provider leadership. The advisory council shall work in partnership with the Division of Developmental Disabilities in the Department of Human Services and the Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities, Rutgers, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. The Secretary of Higher Education, in consultation with the President of the New Jersey Council of County Colleges, shall appoint the members of the advisory council. Members of the advisory council shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for their actual and necessary expenses. It shall be the purpose of the program to provide a potential career path to individuals interested in human services and allied health career fields in addition to existing direct support professionals, thereby assisting with recruitment and retention of this critical workforce. The program, through partnerships with local school districts, county colleges, and One-Stop Career Centers, shall identify and recruit individuals who are interested in learning about and serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The program shall provide participating students with a one-year fellowship program that offers mentorship and training regarding the responsibilities of direct support professionals and a potential job opportunity upon graduation. The program shall provide online training in addition to on-site training and mentorship with experienced direct support professionals employed by collaborating agencies that serve individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In addition to students, the Direct Support Professional Career Development Program shall work with existing and potential direct support professionals to identify their educational goals including credentialing, an associate's degree, and a bachelor's degree. The Direct Support Professional Career Development Program shall collaborate with local One-Stop Career Centers to provide opportunities for unemployed and underemployed workers to receive training to pursue employment in the field of Direct Support. L.2021, c.421, s.2.