The purpose of ND's System of Care Expansion and Sustainability grant is to improve the mental health outcomes
for children and youth, birth through age 21, with SED and their families. The ND Department of Human Services'
Behavioral Health Division (BHD) has identified two goals for the SOC grant. The first goal is to develop a sustainable infrastructure to support the SOC approach for ND children with SED and their families. The second goal is to increase access of high-quality and culturally appropriate services and supports available to children with SED and their families in the identified regions. The BHD is estimating to serve approximately 900 unduplicated individuals in year one of the grant, with an expected increase of 10% each year of the grant program. The estimated total number of unduplicated individuals for the whole project is 1,197. The SOC will be implemented in two regions of the state, Lake Region Human Service Center (LRHSC; Region III) and West Central Human Service Center (WCHSC; Region VII). LRHSC serves a six-county area as well as the Turtle Mountain Reservation and Spirit lake Reservation. This 6,756 square mile area is home to about 43,168 people. WCHSC serves a ten-county area that includes the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, and part of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. This 14,452 square mile area is home to approximately 130,000 people. In 2021, LRHSC served approximately 301 children with SED. WCHSC served approximately 3,133 clients in 2021, 543 of which were children with SED. To accomplish the first goal to develop a sustainable infrastructure to support the SOC
approach for ND children with SED and their families, the BHD has identified four objectives. The first objective is the establishment of a local steering committee in each of the two implementation regions as evidenced by a committee meeting agenda and minutes with membership to include individuals across child-serving agencies, providers and programs. The second objective is the BHD will have a complete needs assessment which addresses gaps in service delivery for the children/youth to be served by the project in the two regions of the state, as evidenced by a complete assessment report. The third objective is the BHD will have a training plan and calendar for service providers developed, as evidenced by a written plan. This training plan will include methods in which the BHD will support service providers in all aspects of SOC development and implementation, including evidence-based processes and practices. The fourth objective is the BHD will have a sustainability plan to ensure system of care activities will continue, as evidenced by a written plan. To accomplish the second goal to increase access of high-quality and culturally appropriate services and supports available to children with SED and their families in the identified regions, the BHD has identified two objectives. The first objective is the BHD will enter into agreement with the two regional, publicly-funded behavioral health clinics within the implementation regions to build upon current service delivery for children and youth with SED and their families. The second objective is the BHD will enter into agreements with private agencies in the two regions in order to begin new service delivery to build a comprehensive system of care in each geographic catchment area.
