North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) will be hosting a weekly lunch and learn webinar each Wednesday starting May 10 to highlight work being done to transform the health and human services delivery system by adopting person-centered practices.
In August 2020, the agency launched a person-centered practices initiative to change how it plans, provides and organizes services by focusing on what service options people want and supporting their choices while helping them live successfully in their communities.
The informational webinars are part of the HHS Person-Centered Practices Summit 2023. They will feature a mix of panel discussions and presentations on how person-centered practices are helping people create a positive and meaningful life, building on their unique interests and strengths. Individuals receiving services, their families, service providers, advocates, agency team members and other interested individuals are invited to attend.
Pamela Sagness, executive sponsor of the initiative and the HHS Behavioral Health Division executive director said, “Person-centered practices are a way of relating to and interacting with others. A person’s life is realized in a meaningful way when family, friends, community members and service providers actively listen to what matters to a person, by respecting and honoring their strengths, cultures, hopes and dreams. Every person should have the opportunity to define their happiness and the life they desire.”
The webinars will be held from noon to 1 p.m. CDT and will feature these topics:
Session one – May 10
HHS will provide an overview of its person-centered practices including goals and accomplishments.
Session two – May 17
In this session, individuals receiving services will share their first-hand experiences with HHS person-centered practices.
Session three – May 24
This session includes a facilitated panel discussion about partnerships formed as result of person-centered practices, what makes these relationships work and what changes have resulted from the collaboration.
Session four – May 31
This session will highlight North Dakota’s accomplishments in advancing person-centered practices across the service delivery system.
Session five – June 7
HHS team members will share changes to state law and agency policies made over the last few years to support person-centered practices.
People must register in advance to participate at www.hsri.org/nd-pcp. After registering, an email confirmation will be sent with information on how to join the webinar. Closed captioning will be available. Each webinar will be recorded and available online at www.hsri.org/nd-pcp.
Individuals with disabilities who need accommodations to participate in the webinars can contact Julie Huwe at (701) 328-8920, 711 (TTY) or jhuwe@nd.gov.
Initially, North Dakota was one of 15 states to receive technical assistance from the National Center on Advancing Person-Centered Practices and Systems and project management from the Human Services Research Institute. In 2021, North Dakota was one of nine states awarded a second technical assistance opportunity to continue to advance person-centered thinking, planning and practice.
To learn more about North Dakota’s person-centered practices initiative, visit www.hsri.org/nd-pcp.