Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan (EPRP)

In accordance with P.L. 2021, Chapter 292, the NJ Department of Human Services (DHS) presents this Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan for Licensed Providers of Services to Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (Herein after EPRP).

A Licensed Service Provider is any entity licensed, certified, or otherwise authorized by DHS to provide services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

This document has been created in consultation with the NJ Department of Health (DOH), Ombudsman for Individuals with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities and Their Families, Licensed Service Providers (LSPs), and the State Office of Emergency Management.

The EPRP:

  • Establishes guidelines and best practices for the general and specific operations, activities, and procedures that are to be undertaken or implemented by LSPs during a public emergency;
  • To the extent feasible, identifies the means, methods, and channels through which licensed service providers may obtain personal protective equipment (PPE) and other equipment or services that are critical to the maintenance of ongoing operations during the course of a public emergency;
  • Addresses various possible public emergency scenarios and provides for the application of differing standards and best practices for each, as appropriate, while highlighting the standards, best practices, and resource sourcing methods that are applicable for the purposes of any currently declared public emergency; and
  • Is consistent with, and incorporates, any relevant guidance that is published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and any other federal agencies that are involved in the remediation of public emergencies.

DHS shall revise the plan and post on its website, at a minimum, every two years from date of publication and as soon as possible/needed following the declaration of any new public emergency in the State. A new public emergency in the State is defined as one that is officially recognized and declared by the Governor of New Jersey or by the President of the United States. All LSPs must also continue to be in compliance with any other applicable state or federal requirements, including but not limited to, DHS Licensing requirements.

Please review the following for more information: