Representatives from the Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services (RCAAS), board members from adult autism advocacy organization Parents With A Plan, public officials, community members, and neurodivergent advocates will gather at 11am on July 30 in Red Bank, New Jersey for the groundbreaking of THRIVE Red Bank, the first-of-its-kind Neuroinclusive Apartment Building, slated to open in 2027.
THRIVE Red Bank will offer one-bedroom apartments for neurodivergent adults, providing residents with amenities and training tailored to support independent living. The first floor of the three-story, 32-unit residential building will be operated by 501c(3) Parents With a Plan, and dedicated to amenities, among them a teaching kitchen, spaces for shared community engagement, health and wellness, and sensory enrichment.
In the first collaboration of its kind in the US, THRIVE Red Bank will also debut an innovative public/private partnership with the (RCAAS). According to a recent press release on the project, THRIVE residents “will benefit from the expertise of Rutgers senior clinical faculty and highly trained clinical staff; meanwhile, university students from a variety of academic disciplines will receive hands-on training and intensive supervision.”
Established in 2016, the RCAAS provides services and support to adults on the autism spectrum to ensure that they have the opportunity to lead fulfilling, independent lives as members of their larger community. The Center also works to advance research and prepare Rutgers students to enter careers in support of this vulnerable population, offering a mixture of supportive programs within an inclusive university setting According to the press release, “The RCAAS exists to stand for autistic adults who are not always able to stand up for themselves and, whenever possible, to amplify the voices of those who can.”
THRIVE Red Bank is intended to be a model for future developments in New Jersey and beyond to offer a range of housing choices for a growing, but greatly underserved population.
According to Parents With a Plan, “There is a growing need for developing neuroinclusive, consumer-controlled housing that fosters person-centered living and working environments. Our group is dedicated to expanding capacity for community-based housing and best practices by putting like-minded, professional industry leaders together to create solutions for the ever-growing ‘post-21’ neurodivergent housing shortage.”
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