Requires DHS to establish five-year pilot program to facilitate coordinated provision of systemic, therapeutic, assessment, resource, and treatment (START) services to adults who have both developmental disabilities and mental illness.

S 644 requires New Jersey's Department of Human Services to create a five-year pilot program providing coordinated services to adults with both developmental disabilities and mental illness. The program establishes community-based therapeutic respite homes in each of the state's three regions, with dedicated beds for crisis stabilization and preventive respite, and offers 24/7 crisis response services like emergency counseling to de-escalate behavioral health crises. It mandates individualized crisis management plans to help eligible adults avoid institutional care by maintaining community living through timely, non-clinical support. The pilot aims to streamline cross-system services - including assessments, crisis response, and therapeutic respite - to improve stability and reduce reliance on emergency medical services or institutional treatment.