About Us
ALFA Development, Inc. is a private, nonprofit agency that serves adults with developmental disabilities including autism, pervasive developmental disorders (PDD), and dual diagnosis.
ALFA is licensed by the State of New Jersey Department of Human Services Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD). Our day program and residential locations are inspected annually to ensure that it meets New Jersey’s strict guidelines that focus on physical comfort, safety and productivity.
ALFA staff are, at a minimum, trained and certified in CPR, first aid, medication administration, abuse and neglect prevention and crisis management techniques.
The goal of ALFA staff is to be available to each resident in order to provide assistance when needed, while encouraging the development of independent skills.
History
It’s been over 20 years since a group of parents in Northern New Jersey came together out of concern for the lack of provision after school, on evenings and weekends for their children with special needs. The parents and families worked together and started out by providing a few hours a week of respite care to many of the families who were desperate for support. This respite care, under the name of ALFA Respite, received recognition from local and governmental bodies and services flourished and the number of families that could be helped grew.
One of the founding members of ALFA Respite, Eileen McMahon became the driving force behind a new program formed in 2000 due to parental concerns about the care their children were receiving at the time. McMahon wanted a safe, secure, nurturing, family-type setting in which her son could live while receiving physical and emotional support.
Today ALFA Development embodies the spirit of ALFA Respite.
Residential Services
All ALFA residences provide 24-hour supervision in a home-like setting. Assistance and training are conducted daily in the following areas:
Self-care and Personal Hygiene
Household Maintenance and Cleaning
Meal Preparation and Nutrition
Community Safety
Communication
Day Program Services
ALFA’s day program is a Facility-Based Special Needs Program, which means that the overall staff to client ratio is maintained at 1:3 to accommodate special needs. The day program offers the following:
Paid work (clerical, janitorial)
Recreation and Leisure (swimming, library, parks, bowling, reading, art and music)
Social and Community (shopping and dining)
Money and Banking
The day program works in conjunction with the residence in order to maintain continuity of care.
Behavioral Support
ALFA understands that some people with developmental disabilities have special behavioral needs and challenges. ALFA offers behavioral support through a behavior specialist. Along with the resident’s family and medical doctors (general and psychiatric) and in conjunction with ALFA staff, the behavior specialist develops a course of treatment to emphasize and maximize positive behavior skills.
