Take Action

The Facts

They Call Matheny Home. Help Us Keep It That Way!

A lawsuit threatens to force 30 patients with complex medical needs out of the only home many of them have ever known.
Get The Facts

Questions & Answers

For 80 years, Matheny Medical and Educational Center, a non-profit organization, has provided the community with compassionate care, specialized medical services, and a true home for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).

Matheny is licensed by the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) as a Special Hospital for 101 beds. Matheny’s mission is to provide exceptional care and an optimal quality of life for children and adults with special needs and medically complex developmental disabilities. Matheny offers a variety of services including a hospital, school, group homes, adult day program, and arts program.

Matheny is the only Special Hospital for I/DD adults with complex medical conditions in the state of New Jersey. The hospital currently serves patients from 16 counties: Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Essex, Gloucester, Hudson, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Sussex, Union.

  • Matheny Special Hospital – A Long-Term Care Hospital (CMS) and Special Hospital (NJDOH) that provides medical care, life enrichment therapies, and personal assistance with daily tasks from a team of specialized professionals.
  • Matheny School – Provides Preschool, Elementary, and High School programs that integrate academics, therapeutic interventions, and pre-vocational skills. Currently serves 39 students.
  • Matheny Group Homes – There are seven community residences, five in Somerset County and two in Warren County, that provide homes and care for 39 people
  • Adult Day Program – Assists participants in attaining the highest level of independent functioning, with two learning centers, one located on the Peapack campus for Matheny residents, the other in Hillsborough for community members with disabilities. Currently, 49 people participate from Morris, Mercer, and Somerset Counties.
  • Arts Access – Offers courses in the fine, performing, and literary arts using state-of-the-art methodologies to inspire and encourage the aspirations of artists with disabilities. Some 77 people participate from across NJ, including Bergen, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Morris, Sussex, Union, and Warren Counties.
The Borough and its Land Use Board have filed a lawsuit seeking a court order requiring Matheny to reduce its licensed bed capacity from 101 to 71. Matheny believes the claim has no merit, has filed its formal Answer denying the claims, and is defending the case.
This dispute dates back to 2008, when Matheny sought approval to expand portions of its campus. After years of legal proceedings, the parties entered into a Settlement Agreement in 2018, which included bed reduction provisions that relied on a now-outdated state-mandated reduction. Matheny has complied with the obligations imposed under that agreement, and the proposed campus expansion never came to fruition.
This included signing a conservation easement for a parcel of land and tracking and complying with strict traffic limits at the facility. Matheny has fulfilled every obligation required under the settlement agreement.
The New Jersey Department of Health oversees licensing and bed counts for all health facilities in the State. A Certificate of Need is used to determine bed counts, expansions, renovations, etc., to ensure that facilities meet the community’s needs.

Matheny filed its Answer, or formal response in court, which denied the core claims, laid out its legal defense, and asked the court to dismiss the case. If the case is not dismissed, a jury trial has been requested. Matheny is committed to doing whatever is necessary to protect the people we serve.

Among the key points Matheny has formally argued: the bed-reduction provision was conditioned on a State mandate that never required a reduction; the Borough lacks authority over a bed count that is regulated by the State (NJDOH); and forcing a reduction would harm the medically complex individuals Matheny serves.

No. The daily care, support, and services we provide are unchanged. This is a legal dispute about an outdated settlement provision and who has authority over our bed count; it does not currently impact the care our residents and patients receive.
That is what the Borough is asking the court to do — to reduce us from 101 beds to 71 — and we strongly disagree with their position. Matheny remains licensed by the State for 101 beds, and we have formally argued that the Borough does not have the authority to override that.
No. This lawsuit concerns a bed-capacity provision, not the organization’s future operations. Matheny remains fully operational and committed to its mission.
Reducing capacity would harm medically complex individuals who depend on this level of care. Many of the inpatients at Matheney have complex medical issues and require around-the-clock medical and nursing care. Most nursing homes and long-term care facilities are not set up to handle this level of care and the special needs of I/DD individuals. The other placement option for Matheny residents would be transfer to a specialized I/DD group home. However, there are limited group homes in New Jersey able to handle people with complex medical issues, and the overall waiting list for general group homes is currently over 8,000.
No. Matheny has been operating at this location for decades and has no plans to move our facility. Matheny conducts periodic long-range planning for its future, including how best to modernize its facility. That planning is separate from this lawsuit and is not a near-term change.
From official Matheny communications and representatives. Please sign up for our email list below to stay informed, or contact Iveth Mosquera with any questions at imosquera@matheny.org or (908) 234-0011 ext 1273.

Write a letter or email, call, or speak at an upcoming Mayor & Council or Land Use Board meeting, underscoring the importance of Matheny in providing exceptional care and an optimal quality of life for children and adults with special needs and medically complex developmental disabilities.

Visit Our Take Action Page For Ways to Get Involved
Scroll to Top