Based in Nutley, NJ The Phoenix Center is an accredited private special needs school serving the educational, behavioral and therapeutic needs of students ages 5-21 with autism, multiple disabilities, behavioral and intellectual disabilities. Our customized programs are built around the whole child and anchored by a hands-on, real-life, community-based instruction model.
A Message From the Executive Director
As we enter the second half of the school year, there is much to be thankful for. Our rainbow of possibilities is being realized – our health statistics are good, we have restarted some of our community activities, and have held some in-person events. As the Executive Director, I believe our rainbow of possibilities is becoming ever brighter. With that in mind, we are in the process of planning an in-person Casino night fundraising event on April 8th, and we are very excited to see everyone there.
I am so proud of our students, parents, and staff for working through the challenges of the past two years. Although we have experienced our setbacks, we are rounding the corner and are making our way back to the normalcy of day-to-day life. We continue to follow the NJ Department of Health’s COVID-19 Public Health Recommendations for Local Health Departments for K-12 Schools and are well prepared to continue to make adjustments and updates to our policies, as needed.
As always, we are committed to providing the best educational and therapeutic services to our students and support to their families. Despite all that we have experienced most recently, our mission of bringing our students to their highest potential by providing customized, unique and individualized programs have held true. The Phoenix Center continues to serve its students and their families to the best of its ability. Our rainbow of possibilities is endless!
I invite you to browse through our website and like us on social media. My door is always open, so feel free to contact me with any questions you may have. Take care and be well.
With gratitude,
Julie Mower, M.A.Ed.
Executive Director
PS Please remember that you can support the initiatives and programming not covered by tuition dollars by donating through our DONATE page here.
Virtual/Remote Instruction Health & Safety Plan
Please click on the below document to view our 2021-2022 Health & Safety plan:The Phoenix Center’s Virtual/Remote Instruction and Health & Safety Plan 2021-2022 — ADDED 10/28/21 The following are our school closing and communication documents: The Phoenix Center’s Restart & Recovery Plan with an addendum, updated 3-17-21 The Phoenix Center’s Restart & Recovery Plan […]

Casino Night 2022 Was a Huge Success!
Thanks to friends, families, and our incredible sponsors and donors (like you!) we were able to raise over $80,000 for our dynamic programs and services ! All that AND we had lots of fun!! We can’t thank you all enough! Title Sponsor: DeMattheis Real Estate All-In Sponsor: Columbia Bank Foundation

Yoga helping kids with autism stay calm, focused
We’re so excited to share that our yoga program made the news! NBC New York — we’re so grateful for the spotlight on our amazing kids! Huge thanks to our great friends at Good Vibes Yoga & Kombucha Bar in Nutley, and of course, an extra special thanks to PT Lisa for running this program […]

Oped: NJ’s education, legislation & community programs are superior for children with autism
The following OpEd. written by The Phoenix Center Executive Director Julie Mower, was published in NorthJersey.com. In the CDC’s December 2021 report, it was indicated that one in 44 youth nationwide live with autism; in New Jersey, the rate is one in 35. New Jersey’s rates are consistently greater than the national average — in […]

