In January 2022, the State of New Jersey adopted legislation to develop and implement the “State as a Model Employer of People with Disabilities” (SAME) program. As New Jersey’s largest employer, the State should promote awareness of persons with disabilities as a valued employee resource, as well as work to attract, engage and retain persons with disabilities in the State workforce. The State’s current workforce is comprised of 1.38% of employees who have self-identified as a person with disabilities.

The Affirmative Action Officer of each State agency implements and oversees the SAME program for that State agency.

The goal of the SAME program is to increase the number of persons with disabilities in State government from 1.38% to at least 7% based on the goal established by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. To achieve this, each State agency is required to:

• Review and analyze existing recruitment, hiring, advancement, and retention policies and procedures applicable to persons with disabilities;
• Maintain demographics on the current percentage of applicants and State employees with disabilities;
• Utilize the Fast Track Hiring program and provide individuals who meet the requirements for a particular job a good faith interview;
• Establish model internships or similar work-based learning experiences for employees with disabilities;
• Develop a mentoring program focused on employees with disabilities; and
• Establish a recruitment and referral program that connects the State agency with college students and recent graduates with disabilities.

The SAME program was established to enable New Jersey State agencies to hire, promote, retain, and advance qualified individuals whose physical or mental impairments impact their abilities to participate in the hiring and promotion process within the State workforce. This program uses a fast-tracking process to ensure that people who are eligible for the program are offered an opportunity to participate in interviews when applying for unclassified and non-competitive positions.

An appointing authority of a State agency may appoint a person who meets the requirements for the title with a significant disability to an unclassified or non-competitive position.  

A person with a significant disability applying for an unclassified or non-competitive position, if denied an interview, may request from the appointing authority of the State agency a good faith interview.

If you request a good faith interview, the appointing authority of the State agency will request that you provide proof of your significant disability to determine if you qualify for the Fast Track Hiring process.  Such proofs may include documentation that:

• You were or are a current client of the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation in the Department of Labor and Workforce Development;
• Meet the eligibility requirements to receive Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income benefits on the basis of a disability;
• You are eligible by the Social Security Administration to participate in the federal Ticket to Work program;
• You qualify for appointment under the federal Office of Personnel Management, Schedule A Excepted Service Hire;
• You qualify for services, supports or benefits under state programs administered by the:

• Division for Vocational and Rehabilitation Services (DVRS); or
• Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD); or
• Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CBVI); or
• Division of Disability Services (DDS); or
• Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DDHH); or
• Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS); or
• Division of Disability Services (DDS)

• You meet the eligibility requirements for services, supports, or benefits under a program administered by the United States Department of Veterans Administration or the State;
• You have been deemed eligible for services and supports by a NJ state child study team at an NJ high school or an office rendering disability services at a New Jersey public college or university;
• You have a significant disability as affirmed by a NJ licensed medical provider; OR
• You meet the eligibility requirement for services, supports or benefits under a program administered by an agency of the State that is comparable to one of the above listed programs.

If the appointing authority of the State agency determines that you have provided sufficient documentation of a qualifying significant disability, it will work with the applicant to schedule a good faith interview. 

Please note that even if you do not qualify as having a significant disability to request a good faith interview, if you meet the experience and/or education requirements listed in the posting, the appointing authority will still consider your application for employment and may contact you at some point in its selection process for an interview.

The SAME Program fast tracking process can be used only to apply to non-competitive and unclassified job postings. Visit the Other State Job Opportunities page opportunities on the Civil Service Commission (CSC) website at Other State Job Opportunities (nj.gov) to find eligible job openings and application instructions. 

Kindly send your resume and all required supporting documents directly to the email address on each job vacancy posting.

1. It is the responsibility of each State agency to implement the SAME program. A State agency is defined as any State Department, any authority, commission, office, department, division, bureau, board or any other agency or instrumentality thereof, including institutions of higher education.
   
   
2. Each State agency shall provide for sufficient and qualified staff and sufficient resources and funding for the SAME program including, as appropriate, the appointment of; a Disability Program Manager, a Selective Placement Program Coordinator and a Stay-at-work and Return-to-work Coordinator.
   
   
3. The SAME Program shall be implemented by each State Agency; responsibilities include:

1. • Review existing recruitment, hiring advancement, and retention policies and procedures applicable to persons with disabilities, including an analysis of barriers to employment.
   • Establish goals for the hiring and recruitment of persons with disabilities, maintain records of the progress towards achieving and maintaining the established goals, and maintain the report on demographic data related to disability status for applicants and employees
   • Use fast track hiring and advancement authority that permits State Agencies to consider disability status during the hiring and advancement process.
   • Establish mentoring, internship, or similar work-based learning experience for persons with disabilities.
   • Provide an opportunity for a qualified individual with a disability to request a mandatory interview, which shall be kept confidential and separate from the agency employment applications.
   • Include a centralized accommodation program to consolidate subject matter expertise necessary to assess, evaluate, and implement effective and meaningful accommodations and funding streams for accommodations
   • Establish a recruitment and referral program that connects the State agency with college students and recent graduates with disabilities.
   • Utilize web-based application portals that are accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities.
   • Provide quarterly reports to the director of the State agency, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Civil Service Commission, which shall be publicly available and posted on the division's website.

Documentation:

• Was, or is a current client of DVRS and DOL. (The attached can be used as one of the qualifying documents)
  • Schedule A Federal Hiring Letter for Medical Practioners
  • Schedule A Federal Letter for Hiring Voctional Professionals
  • Schedule B NJ Letter for NJ Desginated State Agencies
  • Schedule B NJ Letter for NJ Liscensed Medical Providers
    
    
• Meet the eligibility requirements to receive Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Social Security Income based on disability, inclusive for persons who are eligible to participate in the federal Ticket to Work program, under the Social Security Administration.
• Qualifies under the Office of Personnel Management, Schedule A
• Qualifies for services, supports, or benefits under programs administered by:
  • Division of Developmental Disabilities or
  • The Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services in the Department of Human Services.
• Meets the eligibility requirements for services, supports, or benefits under a program for disabled veterans administered by the United States Department of Veterans Administration or State; or
• Meets the eligibility requirements for services, supports, or benefits under a program administered by an agency of the State that has been determined by the administrator as comparable to a program described in paragraphs a. through e. of this section.

Appointment:

• The AA may appoint a qualified person with significant disabilities to an unclassified or noncompetitive service position, in the career service of Civil Service. The AA shall require proof of significant disability prior to appointing. This can be a letter or other official certification from DVRS that meets paragraph above.

Eligibility:

• The person is certified as eligible and
• It is necessary to observe the person on the job to establish that the person is able to perform the duties of the position.

Visit Other State Job Opportunities (nj.gov) to find job opportunities covered by the SAME program.

Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Commission for the Blind & Visually Impaired

Division of Developmental Disabilities

Division of the Deaf & Hard of Hearing

Division of Mental Health & Addiction Services

Legislation:

P.L. 2021, C.465

P.L. 2021, C.466

Presentations on key areas of:

P.L. 2021, C465 & P.L. 2021, C466

As a part of the SAME Program, all State agencies are required to provide for quarterly progress reports to the Civil Service Commission.

In addition, the Civil Service Commission must prepare and distribute a biannual report to the Governor and the Legislature. The report shall include ongoing barriers to employment, progress made towards increasing the number of persons with disabilities employed by the State and each State agency, retention rates of persons with disabilities employed by the State and each State agency and plans for expanding and improving employment opportunities in the upcoming year.

All bi-annual reports on the SAME program can be accessed below (coming soon)