Referrals can be made at any time. To start the application process, fill out the Referral Form and email the completed form to ioc-referrals@rcaas.rutgers.edu.
IOC Admission Criteria:
The IOC serves adults aged 21 and older that meet the following criteria.
- The individual is diagnosed with autism or a related disorder.
- The individual is approved to participate in the NJ DDD Supports Program (i.e., they have a budget provided by Medicaid for Support Services) and/or hold private health insurance. If an individual does not have either of these sources of funding, they will still be considered for admission if they can demonstrate they have access to an alternate source of funding for support services.
- The individual engages in severe challenging behavior such as self-injury, aggression, property destruction, elopement, pica, rumination/emesis, that limits their ability to engage in meaningful daily activities or access to the community.
- The individual has a collaborative support network of caregivers (e.g., guardians, residential service providers) willing to participate in clinical sessions and training as well as who are committed to implementing effective treatment components after discharge.
Waitlist and Intake
In the likely event that an immediate admission cannot occur, appropriate referrals will be placed on the IOC’s waitlist. A multitude of factors affect the movement of a potential patient from the waitlist to the intake process, so the length of waitlist cannot be definitively determined.
As soon as the admission of an individual on the waitlist is expected, the guardian(s) or other service provider who provided the referral will be notified and the intake process will be begin with an intake interview and observation.