Bryan Dooley, Chairperson (left); Talley Wells, Executive Director (right)

A Message from NCCDD Council Chair & the Executive Director

The North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities (NCCDD) made FY 2023 a year of advocacy!

This year, the Council focused on the waiting list and the Direct Support Professional (DSP) workforce shortage. We made significant progress with the state increasing funding for DSP rates and launching 1915(i) Medicaid, which will provide new community living supports and employment services. At the same time, there are still thousands of people in our community who are without services due to the waiting list and the workforce shortage. 

Our initiatives also made substantial strides. NCCDD had the opportunity to highlight much of this work in presentations at the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD) Conference in Orlando, Florida in July. 

The initiatives furthered the three goals of the Council’s Five-Year State Plan: Financial Asset Development, Community Living, and Advocacy. NCCDD’s policy education work was led by Council Chair Bryan Dooley. This included policy meetings with Governor Roy Cooper, NC Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS) Secretary Kody Kinsley, Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) leaders and legislators. The Council’s policy education was driven by its five policy priorities. 

NCCDD debuted a powerful film, “Unmet: North Carolina’s Disability Crisis.” The film brought viewers into the homes of individuals with I/DD and their families experiencing crises due to the workforce shortage and waiting list. NCCDD partnered with providers to do a DSP rate study that was necessary to determine the financial amount to increase wages. 

In Community Living, NCCDD’s “Making Alternatives to Guardianship a Reality in North Carolina” initiative successfully concluded its extraordinary work with a new law passing the General Assembly and with powerful education tools. NCCDD’s “Justice: Release, Reentry, and Reintegration” initiative also concluded its successful work supporting people with I/DD to return to the community from prison. DHHS will continue this initiative for at least two more years. The “Supported Living: A How-to Guidebook” initiative introduced a practical guidebook on how to make the Supported Living service successful. 

In Financial Asset Development, NCCDD worked with i2i Center for Integrative Health to prepare for a conference on how advocates can come together to increase competitive integrated employment. NCCDD continued its work to train leaders on benefits counseling, which is a critical component of employment for the I/DD community. The Council also supported a white paper on how individuals with I/DD and family members can work on Tailored Care Management teams as Care Extenders. 

In Advocacy, NCCDD continued to support a pioneering Peer Mentor initiative that has gained national and state interest for individuals with I/DD to be employed as peer mentors. NCCDD’s “Self-Advocate Discussion Series” continued its important work bringing together self-advocates to discuss critical topics from personal relationships to talking with legislators. NCCDD grew its Ability Leadership Project (ALP) initiative which trains self-advocates and family members to be leaders and includes self-advocate teachers. 

To continue our work to reach wider communities, we welcomed Irlanda Ruiz, who joined as the Council’s Hispanic Community Advocate to build connections and provide public health education across the state. 

NCCDD made a difference this year. But, we have much more work to do! 

Bryan Dooley, NCCDD Chair
Talley Wells, NCCDD Executive Director