Rebalancing Initiative

NORTH DAKOTA

Grant Information

Name of Grantee

North Dakota Department of Human Services

Title of Grant

Choice and Self-Directed Community Resource Delivery for the Elderly and People with Disabilities in North Dakota

Type of Grant

Rebalancing Initiative

Amount of Grant

$300,000

Year Original Funding Received

2004

Contact Information

Linda Wright
ND Department of Human Services
600 E. Boulevard Avenue, Department 325
Bismarck, ND 58505-0250
701-328-4607
sowril@nd.gov

Subcontractor(s)

Amy Armstrong, Project Director
Minot State University
North Dakota Center for Persons with Disabilities
500 University Avenue West
Minot, ND 58707
701-858-3578
amy.armstrong@minotstateu.edu

Target Population(s)

Persons who are elderly (60+) and adults with disabilities.

Goals

  • Increase access to and utilization of home and community services for elderly people 60+ and people with disabilities.
  • Revise the finance mechanism for home and community-based programs and services.
  • Increase choice and self-direction for elderly people 60+ and people with disabilities.
  • Decrease reliance on institutional forms of care.
  • Develop quality management mechanisms for service delivery.

Activities

  • Establish a stakeholder consultation process to create a rebalancing plan that will develop and implement a single-point-of-entry mechanism, develop and implement a state financial distribution mechanism for home and community services, and create and implement quality management mechanisms.
  • Use the consultation process to develop a set of draft bills for consideration by the North Dakota Legislative Assembly that will direct the implementation of the rebalancing plan.
  • Develop public information services regarding the long-term care (LTC) continuum of services available for the target population and utilize various media for maximum impact, including television, radio, Web sites, brochures, and posters.
  • Develop and disseminate informational materials that will include practical self-assessment guidelines and checklists for assessing the appropriateness of LTC services in institutional settings and in home and community-based settings.

Abstract

The Rebalancing Initiative Grant project will improve community-integrated services by providing a forum for all constituencies to participate in a new mechanism for funding home and community services, and by providing full consultation with consumers and stakeholders in building a lasting agreement on the direction of LTC services in the State. The project will also enhance coordination of all LTC services through a single point of entry for home and community services and institutional services.

The stakeholder consultation process will develop a "roadmap" or strategic plan for the development and implementation of a single point of entry, and direction and recommendations for continued efforts to balance the system of LTC services in the State. In addition, incentives will be considered for enabling and supporting the leadership of the existing infrastructure of nursing homes to participate in providing home and community services. The grant project will also conduct research regarding choice and access to all LTC services in North Dakota and disseminate these findings statewide. This research information, along with past studies and best practices, will be used to guide the development of a single point of entry and the rebalancing initiative roadmap.

The stakeholder consultation process will produce a comprehensive set of legislative proposal(s) for consideration in the 2007 session of the North Dakota Legislative Assembly. These proposals will provide clear mandates and the financial support for their implementation.

The development of public information services through the grant project will strengthen the current trend in public thinking toward rebalancing resources for institutional and home and community services, and can provide the foundation for future significant initiatives for rebalancing. The Department of Human Services is committed to seeking appropriate Medicaid waivers to support implementation of the recommendations that are identified in the Stakeholder Consultation Process and to ensure sustainability of the initiative.