News

North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) has been awarded the Partnership for Success grant, providing $1.25 million annually for up to five years from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The grant is grounded in the Strategic Prevention Framework designed to engage communities in public health principles through data-driven, evidence-based programs. The grant aims to strengthen the capacity of local substance use prevention providers to implement underage drinking prevention efforts targeting underserved populations across North Dakota.

North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) has been awarded $4 million annually for the next three years through the State Opioid Response (SOR) grant, administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The funding will support opioid use disorder treatment and overdose prevention across the state through Sept. 29, 2027.

October is National Bullying Prevention Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness and educating communities on preventing bullying. Parents Lead, a North Dakota program administered by Health and Human Services (HHS), offers help to parents, caregivers and professionals recognize and address bullying effectively.

In a compelling display of leadership and compassion, a North Dakota construction supervisor's call to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline has sparked an important conversation about mental health in the workplace. North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) partners with FirstLink to answer both 988 and 211, the numbers for resources. 

North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) celebrates National Recovery Month this September, as proclaimed by Gov. Doug Burgum. This month, HHS’s Behavioral Health Division aims to raise awareness about programs and services that support people in recovery, celebrate North Dakotans and their family members in recovery, and recognize the dedicated individuals who provide the prevention, treatment, and recovery support services that make recovery possible.

More than a dozen agencies across North Dakota received grant funding in January, totaling over $7 million from the North Dakota Opioid Settlement Fund (OSF) Grant. These funds have been instrumental in supporting implementation of prevention, early intervention, treatment and recovery initiatives, as well as enhancing the state's behavioral health workforce. Over the past six months, nearly 900 North Dakotans have benefited from programs and services funded by these grants.

North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) is partnering with Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation to provide training in the newly updated American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) Criteria to North Dakota behavioral health professionals. The ASAM Criteria are the most widely used clinical standards for identifying the treatment needs of patient with addiction and co-occurring conditions in the nation. The HHS training initiative, which began in July, aims to enhance the knowledge and expertise of professionals treating substance use disorder and mental health conditions across the state. It has been met with overwhelming demand, prompting the addition of several new training sessions through August.

The North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) Behavioral Health Division invites the public to its booth at the North Dakota State Fair in Minot, July 19-27, to learn about Parents Lead, an evidence-based prevention program that provides parents and other adults and caregivers with tools and resources to help support the behavioral health of children. As the number one influence, parents, caregivers, and other trusted adults play a critical role in supporting the behavioral health of children.

North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) marks a significant milestone this month as it commemorates the upcoming two-year anniversary of the rollout of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Partnering with FirstLink, North Dakota continues to expand access to critical mental health and crisis intervention services statewide.

Registration is now open for the fourth annual North Dakota Health and Human Services Behavioral Health & Children and Family Services Conference scheduled for Sept. 16-19 at the Bismarck Event Center for behavioral health and child welfare professionals. The conference may also be attended via an online livestream. Three preconference sessions will be held Sept. 16-17 with the regular conference schedule commencing at 1 p.m. CT on Tuesday, Sept. 17.