North Dakota Health and Human Services recognized five individuals and teams for their outstanding contributions to children, families, and behavioral health services, formalizing the North Dakota HHS 2026 conference awards during this year’s Behavioral Health & Children and Family Services Conference.
What the North Dakota HHS 2026 Conference Awards Recognize
The annual awards recognize providers and professionals who demonstrate exceptional service, innovation, leadership, and a commitment to improving the lives of North Dakotans. The awards were presented as part of the 2026 Behavioral Health & Children and Family Services Conference, which brings together professionals and partners from across North Dakota to share knowledge, strengthen collaboration, and advance services for children, families, and individuals experiencing behavioral health challenges.
The Record Attendance Behind This Year’s Conference
The conference continues to grow, once again topping its attendance record by drawing 1,478 attendees, both virtually and in-person, with support from 62 sponsors, reflecting sustained and expanding interest in North Dakota’s behavioral health and child welfare professional community.
The Fearless Roughrider Team Award Within These North Dakota HHS 2026 Conference Awards
The Cass Human Service Zone Family Services Team and Family HealthCare Behavioral Health Team received the Fearless Roughrider Team Award, which honors teams that demonstrate courage, innovation, adaptability, and a commitment to finding new ways to serve North Dakotans. The Cass Human Service Zone Family Services Team was recognized for its resilience through significant staffing and leadership challenges, developing an evening shift to better meet families’ needs and strengthening community partnerships.
Family HealthCare’s Behavioral Health Team Recognition
Family HealthCare’s Behavioral Health Team was recognized for identifying and removing barriers to care through innovative, patient-centered solutions, including expanding telehealth services, same-day access, and community connections that help patients address transportation, food insecurity, and other barriers to health and well-being.
The Legendary Service Award Within These North Dakota HHS 2026 Conference Awards
The Legendary Service Award was presented to Dr. Nicola Herting, Ph.D., of the Treatment Collaborative for Traumatized Youth at Sanford Research, and Diana Weber of Children and Family Services, for their exceptional service and lasting contributions to North Dakota’s most vulnerable children and families. Dr. Herting was recognized for her leadership in trauma-focused care, workforce development, and expanding access to evidence-based treatment through statewide initiatives, training, mentorship, and innovative telehealth services.
Diana Weber’s Career-Spanning Recognition
Diana Weber, who retired Aug. 31, was recognized for a career dedicated to improving child welfare practice across North Dakota, having helped implement the Safety Framework Practice Model statewide while supporting professionals through complex cases and fostering collaboration and continuous improvement across the child welfare system.
The Flickertail Service Award Within These North Dakota HHS 2026 Conference Awards
Jenni Wahl of Lighthouse Recovery Ministries received the Flickertail Service Award, which honors a peer support specialist whose lived experience, resilience, and commitment to recovery inspire hope and meaningful change. Wahl began her journey with Lighthouse as a participant in the Free Through Recovery program before becoming a peer support specialist herself.
Why Wahl’s Path From Participant to Peer Specialist Matters
Wahl now uses her lived experience to support others in recovery, connect people with resources, mentor peers, and advocate for individuals and families, demonstrating a steadfast belief that no one is beyond help or redemption, a trajectory that illustrates how North Dakota’s Free Through Recovery program can create a pipeline from program participation into peer support leadership roles.
What These North Dakota HHS 2026 Conference Awards Mean Going Forward
With the conference continuing to set new attendance records and drawing support from 62 sponsors, North Dakota’s behavioral health and child welfare workforce appears to be building sustained institutional momentum around collaboration and professional recognition. Given the specific innovations highlighted among this year’s winners, evening shift scheduling at Cass Human Service Zone, expanded telehealth and same-day access at Family HealthCare, and statewide trauma-focused training led by Dr. Herting, other agencies and providers across North Dakota may find these approaches instructive as they look to address similar staffing, access, and service delivery challenges in their own communities.
What to Watch Going Forward
As North Dakota HHS continues hosting this annual conference, industry observers will likely watch whether attendance and sponsorship continue climbing in future years, and how award-winning innovations like the Cass Human Service Zone’s evening shift model or Family HealthCare’s expanded telehealth access spread to other human service zones and behavioral health providers statewide. Given Diana Weber’s retirement following her extensive contributions to implementing the Safety Framework Practice Model, these North Dakota HHS 2026 conference awards may also serve as a moment marking leadership transition within the state’s child welfare system as new professionals continue building on the foundation she and other honorees established.
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