The Department for Persons with Disabilities came into being through the provential grace of God and a young priest, Father John Wehrlen, who had a heart for disabilites. His mission to povide a life with dignity and respect for people with developmentmental and intelletual disabilites began with a small program for "handicapped children' in 1965 and continued to thrive and expand through the years. Today the DPD operates 9 group homes and 2 supervised apartments throughout Morris, Sussex, and Passaic Counties and the Gruenert Center, a vocational day program for 50 men and women in Lake Hopatcong, NJ.

The Department for Persons with Disabilities:

• Began serving adults with disabilities over 45 years ago
• Operates the longest running group home in the state of New Jersey, the Murray House in Clifton.
• Is a Catholic Charities Agency in the Diocese of Paterson, NJ. DPD is one of the largest Catholic Charities Agencies providing care for adults with developmental disabilities in the United States.
• Provides care for over 100 adults with diverse disabilities, races, ethnicities, cultural backgrounds and religious beliefs.
• Is the only provider agency for adults with disabilities in the state of New Jersey internationally accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA).
• Empowers residents to be active and involved in their communities.
• Provides spiritual enrichment programs, including the Catholic Adult Religious Education (C.A.R.E) program.
• Has a dedicated network of over 100 volunteers.
• Provides pastoral care for former residents who now reside in nursing homes.
• Provides information and referrals for families of adults with developmental disabilities living in the community. For assistance contact: