North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) is hosting a public conversation on Jan. 4, 2023, from 11 a.m. to noon CT, to share new developments about the National Core Indicators (NCI) used by the state to measure quality of services and their impact on individuals with disabilities. A meeting notice with details is online at hhs.nd.gov/news/publicnotice.
HHS is using NCI to measure performance and outcomes of the state’s service delivery systems serving older adults, adults with physical disabilities and individuals with developmental disabilities. Advocates supported the use of NCI, and the North Dakota State Council on Developmental Disabilities granted funding for the first two years of North Dakota’s NCI survey cycles.
Beginning January 2023, North Dakota’s contractor Knowledge Services will use both in-person and mail surveys to gather information on outcomes and experiences of individuals receiving services.
“We are holding a virtual community conversation to raise awareness, share details about NCI, and most importantly, to encourage people with disabilities who are receiving services to participate,” said Developmental Disabilities Section Director Tina Bay. “The voices of people who receive public services and their families are very important and should be heard.”
Bay said survey responses provide valuable information for the department, state policymakers, providers, advocates and others. NCI data is used to assess individuals’ satisfaction with services, guide decisions, track performance over time, compare results across states and improve system performance. The resulting NCI reports are made publicly available.
Forty-eight states use NCI, which uses standard measures across states to evaluate key areas including service planning, rights, choices, decision making, heath, welfare, safety, services coordination, relationships, community inclusion, employment and goals. To learn more about NCI, visit nationalcoreindicators.org.