ND Department of Human Services’ Disability Determination Services Honors Employees

BISMARCK, N.D., Dec. 9 -- The North Dakota Department of Human Services issued the following news release:

The North Dakota Department of Human Services' Disability Determination Services (DDS) Unit recently honored three Bismarck employees for their work assisting North Dakotans with Social Security Administration disability determinations during federal fiscal year 2011.

Sandy Heck received the 2011 Director's Award for Best Initial Processing Time. This award honors individuals for efficiency and timeliness in processing initial disability claims. Heck averaged 67 days to complete an initial disability claim compared to the national average of 89.4 days.

Ellen Berg was honored with the 2011 Director's Award for Most Claim Clearances for completing the largest volume of initial disability claims. She completed 552 during the fiscal year.

Amanda Jensen received the 2011 Director's Award for Quality Decision Making. This award highlights individuals who complete initial disability claims accurately and exceed accuracy goals set by the DDS management team in conjunction with federal standards. Jensen achieved a 99.3 percent accuracy rate exceeding the national average of 95.5 percent.

Disability Determination Services employs 23 people in Bismarck who work under a contract with the federal Social Security Administration to determine eligibility for two disability programs. The Supplemental Security Income program provides monthly financial assistance for basic living needs to qualifying low income individuals who are over 65 years of age or have a disability. The Social Security Disability Insurance program provides income to people under the age of 65 who are unable to work because of a disability.

Information about Disability Determination Services is on the Web at www.nd.gov/dhs/services/disabilities/dds.html or by calling 701-328-8700, toll free at 1-800-543-2048 or ND Relay TTY 1-800-366-6888.

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