The Arc of NJ Series: Family Institute
Learn all about the Health Care Advocacy Program with Lisa Ford. The Arc of New Jersey Family Institute provides families with the necessary resources and education to access the appropriate supports and services for their loved one with an intellectual and developmental disability (IDD).
Lisa Ford is the Director of The Arc of New Jersey Family Institute. Lisa’s vision for the Family Institute has resulted in the program becoming the “Go To Place” for information for families- caring for a loved one with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Lisa has made it her life’s work to help families find the necessary information needed to navigate through the system. She does this by talking with families, listening to what their needs are and connecting them to the help they need. Prior to her role as Senior Director of the Institute, Lisa worked as a Navigator for The Arc of New Jersey’s Planning for Adult Life Program which helps students with IDD transition out of their educational entitlement and into the adult world. Before joining The Arc, Lisa taught for 17 years in both the classroom and as a Special Education Itinerant Teacher in New York. She obtained a Master of Science in Special Education and a Bachelor of Science in Education from Wagner College.