Amplifying Every Voice In North Dakota

Posted on December 8, 2025

By Kristen Baughman, CQL Quality Enhancement Specialist

Since their last CQL accreditation in 2021, Community Living Services, Inc. (CLS) has reimagined its policies and practices to ensure people supported remain at the center of every aspect of the organization. Taking a data-driven, rights-centered, and person-directed approach, CLS has cultivated a strong internal culture of inclusion and empowerment that also involves actively participating in advocacy initiatives at the local, state, and national levels. 

An integral part of this work is the organization’s Advisory Committee, comprised of self-advocates who guide policies and practices to ensure they are accessible and shaped by the perspectives of people supported. This collaboration strengthens rights protection, promotes inclusion, and keeps people at the heart of every process. 

New and improved policies clearly express the organization’s commitment to upholding rights, while staff and people receiving services receive ongoing training to reinforce that commitment. Leadership have also implemented the ‘Best of CLS’ employee recognition program that recognizes and celebrates exemplary direct support professionals (DSPs), furthering their internal culture of inclusion and empowerment, not only of people they support but their staff team as well. CLS’ self-assessment process is holistic, accessible, and completed both by and alongside people supported, ensuring accountability and shared ownership. 

CLS has also implemented a  person-centered Rep Payee framework that promotes financial independence through education and support. The organization continues to use the Personal Outcome Measures® to learn from people’s experiences and design supports that reflect their personal goals. 

A robust quality management plan supports these initiatives, with the Quality Assurance Team and Advisory Committee  regularly reviewing  Basic Assurances® data to guide internal improvements. 

CLS also utilizes  My Voice Matters, which they describe as “an online feedback system created to continually improve the quality of services provided by CLS. This feedback system is a place where anyone can express thoughts, ideas, and comments related to CLS.” Community Living Services, Inc. ensures every stakeholder has a platform to share their experiences and opinions. Working alongside surveys, focus groups, and other feedback tools, this initiative guarantees that voices are heard, feedback is addressed promptly, and data informs ongoing progress. 

During the most recent accreditation week, the Advisory Committee  and other stakeholders were deeply involved from the kickoff presentation to Basic Assurances® Factor Reviews, demonstrating CLS’ steadfast commitment to keeping people supported at the forefront of everything it does! 

About Community Living Services, Inc.

Community Living Services, Inc. (CLS) has provided individualized, community-based supports for people with disabilities since the early 1980s. Guided by its mission “to improve the quality of life for individuals with disabilities through support services that help people live and work independently in the community,” CLS focuses on promoting independence, self-sufficiency, and inclusion.

All services are person-centered, designed to build on each person’s strengths, goals, and abilities. From occasional support to 24-hour assistance, CLS helps people enhance their skills, confidence, and community participation. 

Founded in 1981 through Cass County Social Services and established as a private nonprofit in 1990, CLS has continually expanded its services to meet evolving needs. Today, the organization supports children, adults, families, and people with more significant support needs through community-based residential services, day habilitation, family supports, and employment services that emphasize meaningful, integrated work opportunities. CLS remains dedicated to the belief that people thrive when they are supported to live and participate fully in their communities. 

Community Living Services, Inc. recently achieved their Quality Assurances Accreditation. We asked Brooke Austin, CLS Executive Director, a series of questions about who they are as an organization, along with their experience with the CQL Accreditation process. 

What are some notable changes in your organization over recent years?

Over the past several years, we have been working really hard to ensure that our policies and procedures reflect the service practices that we have in place. Through CLS’ last accreditation cycle with CQL, we developed a number of data points to measure the impacts we make through our services, and we are eager to use that data to learn more about our strengths and ways we can grow. 

What are your goals as an organization?

At CLS, our top priority is delivering high-quality, person-centered services. We are committed to ensuring that each person receives support that is personalized, responsive to their unique goals, and aligned with their vision for a fulfilling life. We actively promote community inclusion by empowering people to participate fully in employment, recreation, and all aspects of community life.

What organizational values or practices are you most proud of?

I am proud to work for an organization that has always approached services as a means to support people to live the life that they choose. Recognizing that people have their own goals, visions, ideas, and desires, and that they can make choices has been a foundational value at CLS.  I am also proud of the dedication of the employment services department who work so diligently to support people in being competitively employed in jobs of their choosing.  

I am proud that CLS offers growth and promotion for employees; most of our administration positions are filled by people who began at CLS as a DSP. This not only ensures continuity of care, but also speaks to the dedication of our employees to our mission and to the people we support. Finally, CLS has an Advisory Committee, led by people supported by CLS, that contributes feedback and input into agency policies and procedures, advocacy efforts, social events, and services. To hear directly from the people supported helps strengthen our agency. 

How did you prepare for your CQL Accreditation?

CLS has a CQL Leadership Committee that works through the entire accreditation cycle. The committee begins by taking the recommendations and suggestions from CQL during accreditation and developing goals and areas of focus for the next cycle.  Those goals and areas are turned into action plans for the leadership committee to focus on.  

Each action plan is led by a subcommittee, which includes members of the leadership committee but can also extend to others who are passionate and knowledgeable about the topic. The Quality Assurance Director ensures the committee adheres to the timelines and goals, and also gathers and collects data pertaining to CQL. Additionally, we use POM interviews, surveys, the CQL PORTAL Data System, and agency tools to prepare for accreditation.

What is one specific aspect or area of your organization that has improved as a result of your accreditation? How has it improved?

One specific aspect of CLS that has improved as a result of accreditation is our use of data. The Quality Assurance Department ensures that we are gathering meaningful, factual information that can be analyzed and measured. In addition to using this data to measure goals, this data is also used to determine strengths and areas of growth within the agency, and the data is consistently used to drive changes.

What is the impact of accreditation on your organization as a whole?

As a result of accreditation, we have seen our agency develop solid policies and procedures that reflect CLS’ core mission and values. We are able to introduce best practices in our field which leads to higher quality services. The accreditation process also allows us to showcase our strengths: quality person-centered and self-led services, employee longevity, and the dedication to recognizing the importance of community when customizing services. 

What is the impact of accreditation on people you support? 

People supported by CLS appreciate participating in the CQL accreditation process, and they are proud to share with CQL their experiences at CLS and the services they are receiving. It is extremely rewarding to hear from people who share their knowledge of service delivery and their rights, and how they use their advocacy skills to create their best life. This shows that the efforts CLS puts into the accreditation process is resonating through to the people we serve.

How do you envision the future of your partnership with CQL?

CLS has been working with CQL for a long time and has integrated CQL’s best practices into our systems through the accreditation process. Additionally, CQL provides resources that allow us to learn from other agencies and experts in the field. I envision a continued partnership with CQL to continue to learn and grow as a service provider. 

Have questions about CQL Accreditation?

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Since 1969, CQL | The Council on Quality and Leadership has been a leader in working with human service organizations and systems to continuously define, measure, and improve quality of life and quality of services for youth, adults, and older adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and psychiatric disabilities. CQL offers accreditation, training, certification, research, and consultation services to agencies that share our vision of dignity, opportunity, and community for all people.