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External Program Review Committee (EPRC) agenda

Date of meeting: 2-4 p.m. on March 4, 2021

DSD liaisons: Stacie Enders, Linda Wolford and Ari Dionisopoulos

Type: Whole committee

Location: Remote only due to the COVID-19 health pandemic

Accommodations: If you need an accommodation for this meeting, you must notify a DSD liaison three days prior to the meeting by emailing PositiveSupports@state.mn.us or calling (651) 508-2321.

Common acronyms used by the committee

We ask committee members to avoid the use of acronyms. Here are common acronyms:

· BIRF: DHS form 5148: Behavioral Intervention Report Form

· CABC: Context, antecedent, behavior, consequence

· DHS: Minnesota Department of Human Services

· DSD: Disability Services Division

· EUMR: Emergency use of manual restraint

· FBA: Functional behavior assessment

· HCBS: Home and community-based services

· IRP: Interim Review Panel (Predecessor to the EPRC)

· MDH: Minnesota Department of Health

· PS Manual: DHS form 6810C: Guidelines for Positive Supports in DHS-Licensed Settings

· PSR: Positive Supports Rule: Minnesota Rule 9544

· PSTP: DHS form 6810: Positive Support Transition Plan

· RA or Request: DHS form 6810D: Request for Authorization of the Emergency use of Procedures

General reminders for committee members

· Before speaking, please state your name.

· Committee members are expected to:

o Be on time

o Read the minutes, agenda and supporting documents before each meeting

o Participate in ideas and conversations, as well as pause to allow others to share input

o Commit to spending the whole meeting time present and not engage in other activities during the meeting.

Technology

· The first few minutes of every meeting will be dedicated to addressing any connectivity issues, to ensure everyone can hear other meeting participants.

Agenda items

Public comments

The committee encourages public participants to share their thoughts and ask questions about committee activities at the beginning of each meeting. The committee will continue on to the next agenda item when either 1) 30 minutes have passed or 2) when there are no additional comments or questions, whichever comes first.

Vote

The committee will discuss the minutes from February and vote.

Updates to share

· Remote support delivery of disability waiver services

o DHS has authority through an Appendix K to use remote support as an alternative to in-person service delivery during the COVID-19 peacetime emergency. On Feb. 4, 2021, DSD published the eList, Temporary remote support delivery of Waiver Reimagine streamlined services and prevocational services. This eList communicates that DSD has added Waiver Reimagine streamline service changes to the allowable options for the Temporary Expansion of remote support for HCBS waivers during the federal public health emergency. This eList also communicates the federal authority that allows temporary remote service delivery (Appendix K) is now effective until six months after the end of the federal public health emergency.

o More information can be found in Bulletin #20-56-02 Amended: Temporary expansion of remote support for home and community-based services (HCBS) waivers.

o In mid-February, DHS received revised guidance on implementing HCBS remote support policy requirements permanently in the HCBS waivers. Based on this information, DSD is reviewing policy language and (re)exploring options to add permanent remote support policy in the four disability waiver plans. More information will be provided at a future date.

· Updates from the subcommittees

o If service providers cannot get vaccines through their regular medication providers, it might be quicker to get access to vaccines by going through local public health departments.

o Looking at ways to simplify communication may be warranted for some people instead of giving too many options.

· The two quality of life tools are now posted on this webpage: Positive Behavior Support Notebook.

Discussion

· Annual update and clean-up of EPRC documents: The committee will review one item or topic per month until everything is updated for 2021. This month’s topic: core responsibility documents for each subcommittee.

· Committee members will review their 2020 Olmstead recommendations and consider if there are any additional steps that can be taken each month to achieve them – see the next page.

· Committee members may share additional information and discuss.

· What is going well? What should we change? What have we learned?

Closing

· Members are welcome to recommend topics for upcoming committee meetings.

Recommendations made by the committee in their 2020 Olmstead report

1. The EPRC recommends continuing the past recommendation to collaborate and build connections with expanded support teams, so committee members can continue to assist with the development of effective fading plans on mechanical restraint, emergency manual restraint and other targeted interventions listed in PSTPs.

2. The committee continues to recommend helping service providers connect with other professionals that can inform supports and services.

3. As opportunities for edits arise, it might help to review public communication related to increasing community participation/integration, to better communicate that community activities and interactions with other people should not be forced on a person, and to better communicate that community integration efforts should meet the preferences of the person.

4. The EPRC recommends continuing to focus their technical assistance on each person’s wellness and quality of life. Improved quality of life has been shown to reduce the occurrence of interfering behaviors.

5. When it is safe to do so, given the Covid-19 risk, EPRC members will increase their in-person technical assistance to service providers who are using mechanical restraint.

6. The EPRC recommends continuing to offer service providers, beyond the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, the ability to connect with committee members and other support providers or team members electronically, using secure communication tools. These tools have a variety of benefits including access to expertise for people who live in remote areas, quicker response times, and flexibility for team members (such as family members) who might not have easy access to transportation (note: this is not a comprehensive list of all the potential benefits).

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