Education & Early Intervention Projects

Minot Infant Development Program

This project supports activities which identify infants (birth-3) who are developmentally delayed, high risk, or at risk. In addition, this contract provides for in-home programming and infant stimulation activities for eligible children.
Contact Person: Kathy Lee, 701-858-3054, kathy.lee@minotstateu.edu
Funding Source: ND Department of Human Services

Northwest Infant Development Program

This project supports activities which identify infants (birth-3) who are developmentally delayed, high risk, or at risk. In addition, this contract provides for in-home programming and infant stimulation activities for eligible children.
Contact Person: Kathy Lee, 701-858-3054, kathy.lee@minotstateu.edu
Funding Source: ND Department of Human Services

Transition Partnership Project

This project has been developed to secure funding for a variety of secondary transition activities in ND. This includes: 1) continued collection and evaluation of ND data on transition systems and impact on youth with disabilities; 2) improve personnel development standards and activities for those staff implementing school-based secondary transition services; and 3) increase the information dissemination efforts to state constituents regarding transition systems and promising practices.
Contact Person: Janet Green, 701-858-4473, janet.green@minotstateu.edu
Funding Source: ND Department of Public Instruction

Right Track

This project identifies infant and toddlers that may be at risk for Developmental Disabilities, provides developmental screenings, refers children to other services as appropriate, and provides developmental information to families.
Contact Person: Kathy Lee,  701-858-3054,  kathy.lee@minotstateu.edu
Funding Source: ND Department of Human Services

Experienced Parent

This project provides information and support to parents with a child enrolled in Developmental Disabilities services including the Minot Infant Development Program.
Contact Person: Kathy Lee,  701-858-3054,  kathy.lee@minotstateu.edu
Funding Source: ND Department of Human Services

Child Disability Clinic

This project supports a team of professionals from private, public, school, community, family support groups, and academic areas that provide screening, diagnostic, and follow-up services for children with disabilities.
Contact Person: Marita Hoffart, marita.hoffart@minotstateu.edu
Funding Source: ND Department of Health & Human Services

ND Early Hearing, Detection, and Intervention program (ND EHDI)

The mission of this project is to ensure that children with hearing loss achieve communication and social skills appropriate to their cognitive abilities. The ND EHDI program has two grants at NDCPD to support this mission, they are the ND First Sounds Project and Project Kaylyn. Both grants perform similar functions but have different areas of emphasis. ND First Sounds provides screening equipment to all birthing hospitals in ND and the necessary training to run this equipment. The main emphasis has been to ensure that babies receive an initial newborn hearing screening. Project Kaylyn focuses on ensuring that babies receive a second follow-up hearing screening or audiological assessment if needed, and be provided early intervention services if necessary.
Contact Person: Kathy Lee, 701-858-3054, kathy.lee@minotstateu.edu
Funding Source: HRSA & CDC Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration & Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

ND Hear Now

The ND Hear Now Program will build on the infratstructure established through the ND Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (ND EHDI) initiative. Over the past 8 years, ND EHDI has helped every ND birth hospital obtain equipment, training, and tracking software to provide infant hearing screening. ND Hear Now will focus efforts on reducing the loss to follow-up via 4 goals: 1) Assure that 98% of babies born in ND have their hearing screened before one month of age; 2) assure that ND babies that do not pass initial screenings receive an audiological evaluation by 3 months of age; 3) assure that ND babies with confirmed hearing loss receive early intervention services by 6 months of age; and 4) provide evaluation data regarding the effectiveness of ND Hear Now.
Contact Person: Wendy Thomas, 701-858-4367, wendy.thomas@minotstateu.edu 
Funding Source: Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration

Employment Related Projects

ND Comprehensive Employment Services – Continuation

North Dakota is seeking funding as a fully eligible state for a 4 yr Comprehensive Employment Systems Infrastructure Development Grant. The project will develop a strategic planning process, driven by consumers, to develop a comprehensive employment system assisting individuals with disabilities seek and maintain gainful employment. In addition, this project builds on efforts of the previous MIG project to advance employment outcomes for North Dakotans by providing technical assistance on self-employment opportunities for persons with disabilities and best-practice approaches in person-centered planning and customized employment supports. The NDCES will continue to identify and implement systemic solutions to barriers identified by MIG stakeholders, such as access to benefits planning, personal assistance services, and affordable/accessible housing.
Contact Person: Tom Alexander, Principal Investigator, 1-800-233-1737, or tom.alexander@minotstateu.edu.
Funding Source: US Dept of Health & Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid

Planning for Success

This project is working towards 1) increasing the capacity of service providers statewide serving individuals with developmental disabilities to provide accurate information and referrals on benefits planning to individual seeking competitive employment; 2) provide training regarding specific work incentives and the impact of earned income on social security benefits; and 3) create a network of professionals to assist in the dissemination of accurate, timely employment related information.

Contact Person: Lisa Johnson, 701-858-3494, lisa.johnson@minotstateu.edu .
Funding Source: ND State Council on Developmental Disabilities

Health Related Projects

North Dakota Disability Health Project

This five year project will promote the health and wellness of ND citizens with disabilities, and prevent or lessen the effects of secondary conditions associated with disabilities. The project is a collaboration between NDCPD, the Center for Rural Health at the University of ND, and the ND State Health Department.
Contact Person: Brent Askvig, Principal Investigator, 1-800-233-1737, 701-858-3052, or brent.askvig@minotstateu.edu.
Funding Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Leadership

Community Staff Training Project (CSTP)

This project, which began in 1983, provides training services for staff members employed by agencies/facilities serving individuals with MR/DD.
Contact person: Mary Mercer, 701-858-3260, mary.mercer@minotstateu.edu
Funding Source: ND Department of Human Services

North Dakota Family Support Coalition

The NDCPD will collaborate with the UND Center for Rural Health and Family Voices of ND to conduct a strategic planning process under the title of ND Family Support Coalition (FSPC).  This plan will bring together stakeholders that support families whose children have chronic health care needs. Many other family support agencies will be invited to join the coalition. The coalition will conduct regional focus groups and create a strategic plan to enhance services. This project will guide the implementation of future Rural Health Network Development grants.
Contact Person:Cathy Haarstad, 701-858-3230, cathy.haarstad@minotstateu.edu
Funding Source:  Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration (HSRA)

North Dakota Rural Health Network- Family Support

The RHN-FS project provides families and providers with a comprehensive set of information on family support that can be accessed through a single source. Additional benefits will include access to proposed network resource maps, planning for joint trainings and educational platforms as well as information on rural models to enhance family support in rural communities. Access to information at this level will help physicians to expand the level of services they can offer families and thus, advance the status of ND's medical home and achievement of the 5 year plan for health coordination.
Contact Person: Cathy Haarstad, 701-858-3230, cathy.haarstad@minotstateu.edu
Funding Source: Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration (HSRA)

Quality Assurance Projects

Regional ICC

This project coordinates RICC meetings, conducts focus groups, and develops and tracks implementation of the regional Quality Improvement Plan.
Contact Person: Kathy Lee,  701-858-3054,  kathy.lee@minotstateu.edu
Funding Source: ND Department of Human Services

Part C Data Project

This project is designed to address data continuity and consistency within the Part C Quality Improvement Plans (QIP) and Annual Performance Reports (APR). This project will work with the Department of Human Service, Disability Services Division to organize data, develop a format for the QIP, provide technical assistance for sustainability, and develop a state review process to act in an advisory capacity. Because of new federal requirements, this contract is designed to assist DHS, DSD address State Performance Plan (SPP) needs and continue providing technical assistance.
Contact Person: Kimberly Witt, 701-858-3579, kimberly.witt@minotstateu.edu
Funding Source: ND Department of Human Services, Disability Services Division

Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP)

This project will help ND seniors, including those in the most rural counties and those with disabilities, review their Medicare bills to assure that no errors, fraudulent charges, or abuse have occurred.
Contact Person: Linda Madsen, 701-858-3424, Linda.Madsen@minotstateu.edu
Funding Source: US Administration on Aging

SPDG Evaluator Project

This project provides an independent program evaluation of the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction State Education Personnel Development Grant.
Contact Person: Dr. Bryce Fifield, Principal Investigator bryce.fifield@minotstateu.edu
Funding Source: ND Dept of Public Instruction

Quality of Life Projects

Consumer Participation in the Annual NDACF Conference

This project encourages and financially supports consumer involvement and participation at the Annual Conference of the ND Association of Community Facilities.
Contact Person: Mary Mercer, 701-858-3260, mary.mercer@minotstateu.edu
Funding Source: ND State Council on Developmental Disabilities

WE’RE READY

The purpose of this project is to involve persons with disabilities in current and future emergency planning going on at the local, county, and state levels.
Contact Person: Rich Berg, 701-858-4349, Rich.Berg@minotstateu.edu
Funding Source:  ND State Council on Developmental Disabilities, ND Protection & Advocacy Project, NDCPD

Mythbuster Project

This project is a coordinated effort that began in October 2006 between the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Protection & Advocacy Project, and the ND Center for Persons with Disabilities to change the perceptions of North Dakotans about developmental disabilities. The project engages in a variety of public awareness activities aimed at increasing positive public perceptions about people with disabilities. To view three, 30-second television public service announcements developed by the project click Mythbuster PSAs
Contact Person: Cynthia M. Salazar, 701-858-3356, 1-800-233-1737, or cynthia.salazar@minotstateu.edu.
Funding Source: ND State Council on Developmental Disabilities, ND Protection & Advocacy Project, NDCPD