JESPY House

A key component to living an independent life for someone with an Intellectual or Developmental Disability (IDD) is the ability to earn a wage and make a living. At JESPY, we pride ourselves on having a dedicated team to connecting and maintaining relationships with employers in Essex, Morris, Hudson, Somerset and Union counties to help our clients find a job that works for them.
Clients are individually paired with a WREE Coordinator to provide one-on-one attention for job development and job coaching.
JESPY House offers in-house employment for up to one (1) year through our RISE (Readiness, Independence, Supported Employment) program. In this program, clients are trained to succeed by learning the demands and expectations of the job market. Clients have the opportunity to earn a competitive wage while experiencing the work of various JESPY departments.

JESPY’s Community-Based Supports Program provides 1:1 assistance for clients in the areas of daily & social living and personal development. The program also provides guidance with increased community participation and activity learning.
With independence and a demonstrated knowledge of life skills at the forefront, a number of JESPY clients have the ability to live independently. With supports provided by JESPY, clients have the option to live in one of several South Orange-located condominiums or apartments.
JESPY On-the-Go is an additional support service designed to assist individuals who are living at home. Weekly support hours are available at 2-hour minimum to 15-hour maximum windows. Supports are provided in the areas of Community Participation, Daily Living skills, Independence, and Cognitive Skills in Essex, Union, and Bergen counties.

The Day Habilitation Program provides a structured daily schedule of educational, pre-vocational, psychosocial and health-oriented activities for any JESPY client who is not involved full-time in volunteer or paid employment activities. In this scheduled program, participants build on their interests to help shape their individual performance plans for work readiness and employment engagement.
Day Habilitation includes a comprehensive Daily Living Skills Program which prepares clients, especially those living at home with their families, for successful independent living.

To match the different abilities of each client, JESPY House offers three residential options. All are provided with individualized supports. The primary goal of residential programming is for a client to learn the skills necessary to live independently in the community within his/her own apartment, residing with or without a roommate. The three available options are outlined below:

Level 1 – Supervised Apartment

Level 2 – Shared Housing

Level 3 – Independent Living

The JESPY clinical department is designed to assist clients in the process of leading healthy, fulfilled, and productive lives as well as help them address psychological issues that may hinder the process.

Goal-directed, therapeutic services and interventions are available for clients. Some clients receive short-term treatment that is geared toward their adjustment to new challenges and transitions or resolving issues. Other clients who may have complex emotional histories could require a continuation of their earlier treatment or long-term care.

Clinical service referrals are often initiated and established by case managers, a client’s self-advocacy or via insurance. Clients are matched with an onsite licensed mental health professional, or (if appropriate) with a provider in the vicinity of JESPY.

With each specific client’s care in mind, JESPY’s clinical teams maintains active communication throughout all JESPY House departments regarding the client’s progress and adaptations.

People today are living longer than ever, including adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD). Adults with IDD experience age-related issues much earlier than the general population. However, like most adults, those with IDD prefer to remain in their own community as they age. JESPY is committed to meeting the changing needs of our clients.

Launched in 2017, our Aging in Place initiative developed programs and services to help our older clients remain part of the special community they have come to love – for many, the community where they found independent lives they could call their own.

JESPY’s Aging in Place initiative boasts an environment in which clients can continue to live within our client-centered, community-based setting throughout their senior years with access to the support they need. For our work with Aging in Place clients, JESPY received the 2021 Carl F. West Award from?NJ Advocates for Aging Well (NJAAW).

As part of JESPY’s Engagement & Enrichment Program, clients participate in groups that offer nurturing and supportive outlets designed to foster genuine connections with others and provide engagement in activities that promotes their well-being. The abundance of well-rounded recreational programs provided have an emphasis on creativity, community inclusion, social skills, and sportsmanship.

At JESPY, clients are never at a loss for opportunities for self-expression and inventiveness. The Engagement & Enrichment program provides alternative ways to explore and discover talents, communicate thoughts and emotions, build confidence, and learn new skills.

Some of the workshops for creative outlets include: Poetry/Creative Writing/Blogging, JESPY’s band - The Advocates, Specialized Art Group, Dance Troupe, Zumba, and Book Club. Our multi-talented clients also take part in JESPY and community-sponsored art shows where they display their work and talents.

JESPY’s Athletics and Fitness Program emphasizes overall physical fitness, health and wellness, and the development of social skills. Through the program, clients establish and maintain appropriate fitness routines and participate in athletic games that require inherent or learned sports skills and teamwork.

JESPY clients of all levels of abilities enjoy the team spirit, sportsmanship and opportunity to engage with other athletes across New Jersey and beyond. Clients who may not be ready or do not wish to compete in league play are provided with the flexibility to participate in team practice without the commitment to full schedule travel to sporting events.

For more than 20 years, JESPY House has been proud to be a participant in the Special Olympics New Jersey Games. We represent the largest group of athletes in Essex County and continue to be successful in many events, with a long history of excellence in athletics.