Our Program · Franklin Park, NJ
How the Folak Adult Social Day Program Works
A structured, person-centered day program for adults 21+ with intellectual and developmental disabilities — day habilitation, community inclusion, skill-building, and caregiver respite, built around each person.
Definition
What does a day at the Adult Social Day Program involve?
A day at the Adult Social Day Program blends day habilitation, group activities, community time, and individual support — a structured, person-centered routine for adults 21 and older with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Franklin Park, NJ.
Our program philosophy
At Folak Adult Social Day Program, we believe in creating a nurturing and inclusive environment where individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities can thrive. Our program philosophy is centered around the following core principles.
Dignity and joy
Every adult deserves a place that celebrates who they are — and supports who they're becoming.
Independence
Person-centered supports that build daily-living, communication, and self-advocacy skills day by day.
Community inclusion
Real participation in community life — outings, volunteering, and social groups — rather than isolation.
Choice
Each person helps shape their own day, goals, and activities, guided by their Individualized Service Plan.
Safety and access
A secure, wheelchair-accessible program with reliable transportation, so everyone can take part.
What does a typical day look like at the Adult Social Day Program?
A typical day blends skill-building, group activities, and community time — arts and movement, life-skills practice, social groups, and outings — woven around each adult's goals and comfort level.
A predictable rhythm gives the day structure: a welcoming start, focused skill-building blocks, shared meals and breaks, group activities, and time in the community, all paced to each person.
Person-centered grouping lets staff match activities to ability and interest, so every adult takes part in a way that feels meaningful in Franklin Park, NJ.
How does person-centered planning shape each adult's program?
Person-centered planning shapes every part of the program — the care team builds each adult's schedule, goals, and supports around their own strengths, interests, and Individualized Service Plan.
Person-centered planning is the standard the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services set for Home and Community-Based Services: services follow the individual's choices, relationships, and goals.
Ongoing communication keeps families and Support Coordinators informed of progress, with the plan adjusted as an adult's needs and goals change over time.
How does the program support family caregivers?
The program supports family caregivers through dependable daytime engagement and respite — reliable hours that let families work and rest while their adult relative is safely supported and active.
Caregiver respite eases the strain that constant caregiving creates. The Arc recognizes family caregivers — parents, siblings, and relatives — as the backbone of support for people with I/DD, and respite helps that support last.
A shared partnership keeps families central: staff coordinate with caregivers and Support Coordinators so the program reinforces what matters most at home.
What role does the Individualized Service Plan play in each adult's day?
The Individualized Service Plan authorizes every service an adult receives and shapes the goals pursued at the center each day, per New Jersey DDD. The plan translates personal priorities into the daily structure of the day program.
The ISP as the program's blueprint. New Jersey DDD scores each Individualized Service Plan on nine components, including Person-Centeredness, and authorizes day habilitation services within the participant's annual budget. No goal sits outside the ISP; the document defines which skills, activities, and supports the center delivers for that adult across a twelve-month span.
The provider's worksheet. As a day habilitation provider, the Adult Social Day Program completes an ISP Worksheet together with each participant at least 30 days before the annual meeting, then sends it to the support coordinator, guardian, and team. This practice keeps planning grounded in the individual's own words, interests, and needs rather than a fixed curriculum.
Which skills and life skills do participants build through daily activities?
Daily activities build problem-solving, self-help, social, adaptive, daily-living, and leisure skills, the areas New Jersey DDD names for day habilitation. Small-group and one-to-one instruction matches each adult's pace and interests.
Skill-building grounded in real routines. New Jersey DDD defines day habilitation as education and training that helps adults acquire the skills and experience for community participation. At the center, life skills practice covers money handling, communication, healthy routines, and decision-making, woven through hands-on activities rather than classroom drills.
Variety, choice, and age-appropriate design. The HCBS Settings Rule under CMS calls for choice-rich, non-isolating programming. The day program offers varied activities each adult chooses among or declines, with training pitched to adults 21 and older, never childlike content. This approach respects the autonomy of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
How does community time connect participants to life in New Jersey?
Community time brings participants into integrated New Jersey settings, the full community access required by CMS under the HCBS Settings Rule, which names day habilitation settings as community-based. Outings follow each adult's interests.
Integration over isolation. CMS and New Jersey DDD expect day habilitation to emphasize the community, not a closed facility. Participants visit stores, libraries, parks, and civic spaces around Somerset County, practicing travel, social interaction, and everyday tasks that strengthen independence and belonging in real life.
Pathways toward purpose and work. New Jersey DDD links day services to employment pathways through prevocational training and supported-employment connections. For adults interested in work, the program builds general readiness, attendance, task completion, and workplace social skills, supporting a step toward purposeful activity that fits each person's goals.
How do support coordinators and the center work together for each adult?
Support coordinators develop the ISP, refer adults to providers, and conduct monthly health-and-safety monitoring, per New Jersey DDD. The center delivers the authorized day program services and reports progress back to the coordinator and family.
Conflict-free coordination. New Jersey DDD requires independent Support Coordination Agencies that families choose and change freely. The Adult Social Day Program operates as a service provider, not the coordinator, so the two roles stay separate. This division protects each individual's right to objective oversight of their care.
Shared accountability for outcomes. Following CMS HCBS assurances and the National Core Indicators that NCI tracks, the center documents skills progress, community participation, and satisfaction. The coordinator uses this record during ISP revisions and NJ CAT reassessments when an adult's needs change.
What services does the day program provide for adults with disabilities?
The day program provides day habilitation for adults 21 and older with intellectual and developmental disabilities, a non-medical Medicaid HCBS service funded through New Jersey DDD. Services run up to 30 hours weekly per the ISP.
A habilitation service, not a medical one. New Jersey DDD funds day habilitation as skill-building and community participation, distinct from the nurse-supervised adult day health category licensed under N.J.A.C. 8:43F. The center serves adults with disabilities through habilitation and engagement, without skilled nursing or therapy services.
Coordinated, individualized supports. Day habilitation combines facility-based and community activities tied to each participant's goals. The Arc and AAIDD describe person-centered support as building on individual strengths, an approach the program mirrors by shaping services around the interests, abilities, and needs each adult brings.
What does enrollment at the Adult Social Day Program involve for families?
Enrollment starts when a support coordinator refers an adult whose ISP authorizes day habilitation, per New Jersey DDD. Families reach the center at (732) 860-9104 or folakhealthcarellc@gmail.com to begin a conversation.
Eligibility through New Jersey DDD. Adults qualify through three tests New Jersey DDD applies: age 21 or older, a developmental disability that manifested before age 22 with substantial limits in major life activities, and NJ FamilyCare Medicaid. The coordinator confirms eligibility and authorizes services in the ISP.
A welcoming first visit. The center, with capacity for 80 individuals in Franklin Park, invites prospective participants and families to tour, meet staff, and review the activity calendar. This visit helps each adult and family weigh whether the program's services and community fit personal interests and needs.
How does a new adult get started at the program?
Getting started begins with a phone call and an intake visit. The team reviews eligibility, DDD funding, and each adult's Individualized Service Plan, then puts supports in place before the first day.
Reach out
Intake visit & ISP review
First day & ongoing support
What activities and life skills does the day program offer?
The day program offers a varied weekly mix of activities — arts and crafts, music and movement, cooking and life skills, community outings, volunteering, recreation, and wellness — each designed to build confidence, socialization, and independence.
Across these activities, participants build six core life skills — independent living, communication & socialization, self-advocacy, community navigation, personal health & wellness, work readiness— practiced through real tasks and community experiences that serve each individual's goals.
What do families ask about our program?
How does an adult enroll in the program?
Enrollment begins with a conversation and an intake visit. The team reviews the adult's Individualized Service Plan, goals, and DDD funding, then plans supports before the first day in Franklin Park.
What hours does the day program run?
The Adult Social Day Program runs weekday daytime hours. Families confirm the current schedule with Folak at (732) 860-9104 when planning a start date.
Is transportation available for the program?
Transportation arrangements depend on each adult's plan and funding. Families discuss options with Folak and their Support Coordinator during intake.
Who is eligible for the day program?
Adults 21 and older with intellectual and developmental disabilities who meet New Jersey DDD criteria and hold NJ FamilyCare Medicaid qualify. The disability manifests before age 22 and substantially limits major life activities, per N.J.S.A. 30:6D-3.
Is the Adult Social Day Program a medical adult day care?
No. The center provides non-medical day habilitation for adults with I/DD, funded through New Jersey DDD. It differs from the nurse-supervised adult day health category licensed under N.J.A.C. 8:43F, and offers no skilled nursing or therapy.
How many hours of day habilitation does an adult receive each week?
Up to 30 hours weekly, excluding transportation, as New Jersey DDD authorizes within each participant's ISP. The exact schedule reflects the individual's tier, annual budget, and goals set during person-centered planning.
Does the center provide transportation?
Transportation depends on each person's plan and funding. New Jersey DDD handles transportation separately from day habilitation hours, so arrangements vary by individual. Families review options with their support coordinator and the center during enrollment.
How does the program keep activities matched to each adult's interests?
Through person-centered planning. The center completes an ISP Worksheet with each participant, then offers varied, choice-rich activities tied to documented goals. New Jersey DDD scores the ISP on Person-Centeredness, reinforcing real choice for individuals.
What role does the family caregiver play after enrollment?
Families stay active partners. Under Stephen Komninos' Law, New Jersey DDD requires guardian communication, incident reporting, and unannounced visits. The center shares progress on skills and community participation, keeping caregivers informed about their adult's day.
How does a support coordinator differ from the day program?
The support coordinator plans and monitors; the center delivers services. New Jersey DDD requires conflict-free coordination, so the independent coordinator writes the ISP and checks health and safety monthly, while the center provides the authorized day habilitation activities.
How do you start adult day services in Franklin Park, NJ?
Start with a visit. Schedule a tour or call us, and our team walks you through the center, answers your questions, and sets up a simple intake assessment.