National Core Indicators

The Louisiana Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities (OCDD), along with 47 other states and the District of Columbia, participate in the National Core Indicators^TM (NCI) annual consumer survey. This survey consists of face-to-face interviews with a randomly chosen sample of adults with developmental disabilities who receive services from OCDD as well as mail-out surveys to family members or guardians of a randomly chosen sample of people with developmental disabilities who receive services from OCDD.

The survey cycle begins every year between February and April, when people who are randomly chosen from the OCDD census lists are contacted and invited to participate in the face-to-face interviews. The interviews are conducted at locations that best meet the needs of the participants. The mail surveys, which go to family members of separately chosen random samples of people receiving services through OCDD, generally are mailed no later than the beginning of April each year.

The survey questions are standard for all states that participate, which helps OCDD compare its performance against the national average. A few additional questions have been developed specifically for Louisiana services. Mail survey recipients are asked to return the completed surveys in a pre-addressed postage paid mailer or to complete the survey on the line at a dedicated link that is provided in the mailing no later than June 15 of the same year. Mail surveys are anonymous to encourage candid responses. The results of the interviews and surveys are entered into the NCI database to be tabulated and included in national findings.

Any participants or family member selected for an interivew or survey are encouraged to direct any questions or request for assistance to complete the survey to the NCI coordinators at OCDD, at 225-342-0095 (toll-free phone number 1-866-783-5553). To learn more about NCI, click here.

Definition of NCI Target Audience for Surveys:

The primary sources of NCI data are the In-Person Survey and Family Surveys. OCDD has a goal of obtaining minimally 400 completed surveys for each group.

In-Person Survey – The in-person survey is a face-to-face conversation completed with a minimum of 400 individuals who are 18 years of age or older and receiving at least one paid service from the state (in addition to case management). The person conducting the survey/interview is authorized and trained by OCDD to follow all established NCI protocols as well as Louisiana Department of Health requirements to be in compliance with HIPAA.

Family Surveys - Mail surveys are distributed to families who have a family member with a disability and are intended to assess system responsiveness to their needs, quality of services, and their overall satisfaction. There are three distinct surveys for families:

• a survey of families who have an adult family member with a developmental disability who lives with them (Adult Family Survey);
• a survey of families or guardians whose adult family member with a developmental disability is participating in OCDD waiver services or in residential placement and not living at the same address as the survey respondent (Family Guardian Survey); and
• a survey of families who have a child under the age of 18 with a developmental disability, or who receives EarlySteps services, who lives with them (Child Family Survey)

NCI Presentations: 

To view PowerPoint presentations about NCI, click here.

NCI Reports:

Louisiana NCI Outcome Reports are available at:

https://www.nationalcoreindicators.org/  > Survey Reports