As I celebrate my ninth year as Chief Executive Officer of New Concepts for Living (NCFL), I also celebrate my ninth year in my new profession.  After three decades of owning and operating a midsize for-profit company in an unrelated industry, followed by a brief three-year retirement, leading this remarkable non-profit organization has brought me profound fulfillment.

Since 2016, NCFL’s growth has been truly remarkable.  The number of Community Residences (group homes) we operate has more than doubled with continued growth currently underway.  In addition, 15 new apartments in Saddle Brook are scheduled to open in 2025, which will serve an additional 21 adults living with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).  Our Community Residences are exceptional, both in terms of their aesthetic appeal and functional design.  In 2021, recognizing a need for homes for I/DD individuals with complex medical needs requiring 24/7 on-site nursing, we built our first home for medically fragile adults.  We now have four of these highly specialized homes with several more under construction.

Recognizing the importance of having quality employees, NCFL prioritizes hiring highly qualified professionals.  Our management, administrative staff, and Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) are among the highest paid in our field.  Our DSPs are fully vetted and go through a rigorous training program before they qualify to care for our residents contributing to NCFL’s reputation of excellence.

NCFL prides itself on creating the safest and most secure environment for our individuals and staff.  We were the first agency in New Jersey to install sophisticated, high-tech digital cameras in all our Community Residences, throughout our Achievement Center (day program) and in our entire transportation fleet.  Our highly advanced Information Technology platforms are second to none, helping streamline processes and workflows.

With a commitment to integrating our extraordinary individuals into our communities, NCFL is among the most active agencies in New Jersey.  Our participants visit a multitude of venues on a regular basis.  We strongly believe in the rights of everyone to participate in the community, whether it be daily outings from our Achievement Center, or from our homes on weeknights and weekends.

Having grown to full capacity at our Rochelle Park Achievement Center, in May of 2022, NCFL purchased and refurbished a large facility on Route 17 South in Paramus.  This new Center opened in June 2024 and has been custom built utilizing advanced design enhancements specific to the needs of our population.  During design phase and construction, our goal once completed is to be, in all metrics, the finest day program for adults with I/DD in the nation.  I am proud to say that I believe we have accomplished our goal.

Our new Center provides specialized programs for high-need, low-need, and medically fragile individuals which include therapeutic services (physical, occupational & speech), prevocational and life skills training, sensory rooms, wellness screenings, abundant program rooms and recreational spaces. This new facility will increase our ability to serve our participants more than three-fold.

Financially, NCFL’s budget has increased six-fold over the last eight years enabling significant expansion of our services, allowing even more deserving special needs individuals to become part of the NCFL family.

We could not have achieved such success without the dedication of our outstanding staff, our generous donors, our guardians and families, and our Board of Trustees.  We are also grateful for the support from our Governor, State Legislature, and the NJ Department of Developmental Disabilities (DDD).

I am humbled by how far we have come and remain steadfast and focused on where we are headed.  In closing, I cannot think of a more rewarding second career.  I thoroughly enjoy caring and advocating for the rights of society’s most vulnerable population.  I fully appreciate and welcome each new day, serving our family of extraordinary individuals for whom we provide a “Lifetime of Care.”

I look forward to what we can accomplish together in 2024 and beyond!