What to Expect
The NDAC Difference
Innovators
In order to provide all around care to our consumers, we saw the need to expand our services and develop our own Family Support Services (FSS) Program. In 2013, we began the process to become a provider of FSS in North Dakota. We quickly learned that we were the first new provider in over a decade. Going through this process with the state was extremely beneficial. It allowed state personnel to closely follow our journey during the process of becoming a new provider. This valuable information helped the state create new provider procedures, which helped our state department and new providers that followed.
The NDAC sets itself apart from other providers by providing in-depth training on autism and other developmental disabilities, which include positive behavioral approaches and applied behavioral analysis techniques. These approaches benefit people of all abilities. We focus training on reinforcement, prompting, fading, shaping, errorless teaching, behavior management, natural environment teaching, social skills programming, and more.
In 2020, our program volunteered to be the first provider in the State of North Dakota to implement Electronic Visit Verification (EVV). The EVV software will be required for all providers in 2021. We provided feedback and testing of new applications for Therap software engineers. This allowed them to adjust the applications for the software to work more smoothly for all providers in the area. Our eager team was often called innovative, high-achievers, energetic, and refreshing during this time.
In our effort to continue being innovative leaders, we were the first and are still the only provider to implement Data Driven Outcomes within Therap in North Dakota. Therap introduced a new Data Driven Outcome dashboard for tracking outcomes and measuring the quality of services and supports provided to all individuals. This data collection process allows us to analyze multiple individuals’ progress across programs and compare the progress with identified agency outcomes and objectives. This allows us to improve our ability to evaluate internal processes and ensure we are providing the best overall care to the individuals we serve.
Approach is Everything
It is our pleasure to provide the following support for you and your loved ones.
Person-Centered Planning
In-Home Supports services include a person-centered planning process. With this process, the team creates a plan that is centered around the person served. This model allows the team to evaluate person-centered supports and strategies for shifting power and control to people with developmental disabilities. Your team will ensure they are updating the plan as things change to ensure we are providing the best possible care.
Achieving Personal Outcomes
Achieving Personal Outcomes describes the factors most frequently considered barriers to achieving goals and strategies to counter barriers. Your Qualified Developmental Disabilities Professional (QDDP) will aid in writing goals that allow the consumer opportunity to achieve personal outcomes. Your QDDP will provide very detailed strategies within the plan for support staff to carry out each shift. Each learning objective will be written with evidence-based strategies such as task analysis, response chaining, shaping and other teaching techniques, reinforcement techniques and other positive behavioral supports. Staff will document data each day toward the outcome of the goal while the QDDP analyzes this data monthly to monitor progress.
Designing and Implementing Positive Behavioral Support
The Qualified Developmental Disabilities Professionals (QDDP) design and implement positive behavior supports. These can include behavior observation, promoting positive behavior, teaching social and coping skills, responding to challenging behaviors, plan development, and implementation. QDDPs do this through person-centered approaches and training direct support professionals to carry out the plan as it is written by the team and person served.
Working Closely with Families
Your QDDP provides the connection between services, staff and resources that aid in the support of the family and consumer’s needs. We are prideful that our Family Support Staff (FSS) program is small and focused only on supporting the families they work with. This allows our team to get to know consumers on a more intimate level thus improving the quality of services we provide to the consumer and their family. Our QDDPs work closely with families to ensure scheduling, direct care, and overall services are meeting the family’s needs.
Your Care Team
The Team consists of the person served, the primary caregiver/guardian, the Developmental Disability Program Manager (DDPM), the Case Manager/QDDP, the Direct Support Professional (DSP) and any other support professionals the person wishes to join.
You will receive an agency provided Case Manager/QDDP who is responsible for the overall supervision and coordination of active programs and services for persons with developmental disabilities. They will also assist with scheduling and staffing in your home. The DDPM is your state representative who determines if you are eligible for support services from the ND Department of Human Services Developmental Disabilities Division (DD Division). The DDPM will educate you, support you, and aide you in finding services that meets your needs.
Your team of Direct Support Professionals (DSP) provides assistance with life skills development, health maintenance and medication administration, personal cares, and behavioral development in the person’s home setting and in community based settings. Their main priority is to carry out the strategies set forth by family and the team to help the person served achieve their goals and realize personal outcomes, in both formal and informal settings; and to document the results so they can be used to determine if the individuals served are making progress towards their dreams and outcomes. Daily, they aim to assist people in realizing their full potential. They help people become engaged and integrated into our community. They truly understand that it is about helping people learn how to do things for themselves and maintaining a healthy, quality life.
For the safety and quality care of our consumers our DSPs are required to undergo 25 hours of orientation as well as the following:
- Driving Record Check
- Criminal/Non-Criminal Background Checks
- Multi-State Background Checks
- Child Abuse and Neglect Background Checks
- Pre-Employment Drug Screening
- CPR/First Aid Training
- Crisis Prevention Intervention & Therapeutic Response
- Medication Administration Training
- Mandated Reporting Training
- HIPAA Training
- Abuse, Neglect, Exploitation Training
- Parent Training in the Home