Today, nearly 650 North Dakotans provide kinship care to more than 1,170 children who cannot remain in their homes safely.  

Whether it’s a grandparent, aunt, uncle, godparent, older sibling, extended family member or someone who shares a close relationship with a child (fictive kin), September is a month designated to recognize and celebrate those who provide full-time care, nurturing support, protection, and care for children.

Categories: Public Health

North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS), Fargo-Cass Public Health and other health partners held a community kickoff event today in Fargo to encourage North Dakotans to prepare for the upcoming respiratory illness season.

North Dakota Health & Human Services (HHS) and State Health Officer Nizar Wehbi, MD, are joining with health care leaders from Fargo Cass Public Health, Essentia Health and Sanford Health, and other community health partners in Fargo to announce the kickoff of fall respiratory illness prevention efforts.

Categories: Public Health

Child Passenger Safety Week is Sept. 15-21, 2024 

North Dakotans are used to traveling for various gatherings such as holidays, vacations, family reunions, and other occasions. During National Child Passenger Safety Week, North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS), in partnership with Vision Zero, reminds parents, caregivers, and all drivers to make sure everyone is buckled up, every trip, every time.  A North Dakota family from Cass County is sharing their story of how they survived a vehicle crash. 

North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced $350,000 of Title IV-E Prevention Services Grant funds are available for agencies and professionals to become trained in and implement approved, evidence-based Title IV-E prevention services.  

North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) strives to maintain the highest standards of transparency and accountability and prioritizes continuous improvement.

HHS recently underwent the biennial federal funds audit for the two-year period beginning July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2023. Over the past year, HHS practices and procedures have been implemented to address the findings identified at that time.

North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced the 2024 – 2025 Business Plan, the first-ever produced since the Department of Health and Department of Human Services unified nearly two years ago.

The comprehensive plan highlights 74 projects that support the HHS vision that North Dakota can be the healthiest state in the nation.

North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) recommends some back-to-school health and well-being practices to support strong, stable families and vibrant communities. 

Categories: Behavioral Health

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.

Categories: Public Health

North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS), together with North Dakota’s Gateway to Science, Bismarck State College and other community partners have organized two family-friendly, health promotion events that are occurring in the Bismarck area this weekend. The Step into Health Walk is Aug. 9, and the second annual Gateway to Health event is Aug. 10 in Bismarck.