NDDHS to hold regional advisory group meetings in May

The North Dakota Department of Human Services’ eight regional human service centers are holding their regularly scheduled advisory group meetings virtually this month due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Center directors will share updates on the department’s operation and response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the expansion of telehealth behavioral health services. They will also report on the behavioral health crisis services redesign effort, the annual strategic plan and the accreditation project. Other business may be discussed.

The meetings are open to the public, and are scheduled on these dates and times:

• Northwest Human Service Center – Wednesday, May 6 at 10 a.m. CT in Williston,
• Badlands Human Service Center – Thursday, May 7 at 1 p.m., MT in Dickinson,
• Northeast Human Service Center – Monday, May 11 at 10 a.m. CT in Grand Forks,
• West Central Human Service Center – Tuesday, May 12 at 1 p.m. CT in Bismarck,
• North Central Human Service Center – Monday, May 18 at 10 a.m. CT in Minot,
• Lake Region Human Service Center – Tuesday, May 19, at 10 a.m. CT in Devils Lake,
• South Central Human Service Center – Wednesday, May 20 at 10 a.m. CT in Jamestown,
• and Southeast Human Service Center – Wednesday, May 20 at 1 p.m. CT in Fargo.

Individuals interested in attending one of the eight meetings can find the Microsoft Team link, call-in number and other meeting information at www.nd.gov/dhs/info/publicnotice/index.html. The centers primarily serve individuals who have limited resources and severe and chronic behavioral health needs.

The department employs about 870 people at its regional human service center locations. During the 2019 state fiscal year ending June 30, 2019, the regional centers and their satellite locations provided behavioral health services to about 18,620 individuals, including about 5,000 crisis interventions to nearly 2,000 individuals with significant behavioral health needs across the state.

Staff members provide community-based behavioral health services focusing on chronic disease management and emergency services and provide walk-in behavioral health assessments on designated dates and times, which vary by region. Behavioral health staff also provide community outreach and short-term crisis residential services.

Other team members provide case management services for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, vulnerable adult protective services and other services for older adults, vocational rehabilitation services to help people with disabilities achieve their employment goals, and oversight of children and family services provided by human service zones (formerly known as county social services). 

Services may be provided directly by staff or through partnerships with human service zones and contracts with other providers based on regional needs and available community resources. Details about centers and services are listed online at www.nd.gov/dhs/locations/regionalhsc/.