News

  • Webinar on Current NCI Medications Data

    Feb 28th, 2013

    Save the Date- On Friday, March 29 from 1:30-3:00pm Eastern Time, HSRI and NASDDDS will be conducting a webinar on current NCI medications data as well as state efforts to quell high rates of medication use by the adults they serve. 

    Additionally, future NCI webinars will be part of the monthly ‘NASDDDS Webinar Series.’  We are planning to have one of these webinars every three months focus on NCI data. 

    If you are interested in joining the webinar on the 29th, please contact Josh Engler at jengler@hsri.org. 

  • NCI in Governing Magazine

    Jan 15th, 2013

    National Core Indicators has been profiled in Governing Magazine in an article called "Measuring Developmental Disabilities Services' Success."

    The article talks about the origins of NCI and its use as an outcomes measure. "It started around the time states began flirting with managed care," says Charles Moseley, associate executive director of NASDDDS. "And we were also starting to hear from other directors that they were getting a different kind of question from legislators during budget hearings. They didn't want to hear about outputs -- how many clients we were serving -- they wanted to know what difference we were making in these folks' lives."

    In addition, Steven Hall, Kentucky's commissioner of the Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities, talks about how NCI data has helped design programs and policies that will improve the quality of life of many individuals involved with the system. Some changes impemented in KY include: "A 180-degree shift away from sheltered workshops to supported employment based on clear evidence that clients who have actual jobs report far better life outcomes than those who are simply being shuttled to and from workshops. Those with jobs reported key improvements in measures like healthier relationships, less loneliness and even less obesity, not to mention such other incidentals as higher incomes."

    GOVERNING is the nation's leading media platform covering politics, policy and management for state and local government leaders. Recognized as the most credible and authoritative voice in its field, GOVERNING provides nonpartisan news, insight and analysis on such issues as public finance, transportation, economic development, health, energy, the environment and technology.

    You can read the article here: http://www.governing.com/topics/health-human-services/col-measuring-developmental-disabilities-services-success.html

  • NCI Data Brief on Psychotropic Medication

    Dec 20th, 2012

    The latest Data Brief from the National Core Indicators Project is available.  The Data Brief is entitled “What does NCI tell us about adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are taking prescribed medications for anxiety, behavior challenges, mood disorders or psychotic disorders?”  The brief is a descriptive analysis of adults with ID/DD who take medications for the four conditions described in the title.  Data on utilization of these medications and co-occurring diagnoses are presented.  In addition, data on outcomes are compared between people who take one of these medications and people who do not.  Some of the notable findings include a high percentage of people who take medications without a recorded diagnosis, as well as the link between taking medications and being overweight or obese.  The NCI team plans to continue looking at psychotropic drug use and publish these and further results in a peer-reviewed journal.

    The Data Brief is available here: http://www.nationalcoreindicators.org/upload/core-indicators/Psych_NCI_Data_Brief_final.pdf