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External Program Review Committee (EPRC) agenda

Date: 2-4 p.m. July 7, 2022

DSD liaisons: Stacie Enders, Linda Wolford and Ari Dionisopoulos

Type: Whole committee

Location: Room 2222, Elmer L. Andersen Building, 540 Cedar St., Saint Paul, MN 55101

Meeting link: Webex

Access code: 2480 111 4554

Accommodations: If you need an accommodation for this meeting, you must notify a DSD liaison three days before the meeting. Email PositiveSupports@state.mn.us or call (651) 431-4300.

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

· DEED: Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development

· DHS: Minnesota Department of Human Services

· DLI: Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry

· DSD: Disability Services Division

· DSP: Direct support professional

· 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

· PCA: Personal care assistant

· PSR: Positive Supports Rule: Minnesota Rule 9544

· PSTP: DHS form 6810: Positive Support Transition Plan

General reminders for committee members

Before speaking, please state your name. Committee members are expected to:

· Be on time

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

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

· 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 June and vote.

Updates to share

Onsite visits and the COVID-19 pandemic

Committee members will discuss any concerns or questions people might have about onsite visits.

Direct care workforce shortage

· Frontline worker bonuses

· 2022 legislative updates and looking forward to 2023

· Adding workforce shortage considerations to policy evaluation tools

· Helping people who speak English as a second language access technology

· Grants that might help with the workforce shortage

· DirectSupportConnect usability study

· Updating the learning management system DirectCourse to address language and cultural barriers

· Coordinating with universities to recruit students into health, human service and education fields

· Delay announced for Community First Services and Supports (CFSS)

Positive Supports Rule (PSR) 100 assessment

The committee will hear about recent work on updating the PSR 100 assessment and training resources.

Subcommittee updates

Requests for approval subcommittee

This subcommittee did not have any requests for approval and did not meet in June.

Emergency use of manual restraint subcommittee

This subcommittee will share summer engagement opportunities. They will also check that everyone has access to the onboarding and standard work documents.

Discussion

The committee will review recommendations from their most recent annual evaluation report:

· The committee would like to see Technology for Home or similar services available to more people, particularly all people who need additional support with communicating. While technology devices alone can be very helpful to some people, for others, use of technology requires ongoing training, follow-up and a hands-on approach to determine the right type. Creativity, flexibility and trying different things has been helpful to teams.

· The committee would like to see increased access to telehealth and remote supports, as well as training and assistance when needed to address barriers to or knowledge gaps for using these types of supports. It might be helpful to providers to explore creative ways of using telehealth, particularly in relation to staffing shortages. Use of remote supports might lessen the need for in-person staff and might help to retain staff that would like the option to occasionally work from home. People should be given opportunities to try these supports before making a decision. Teams should collect data during that time to see what does and doesn’t work. Some people prefer more independence and engage in fewer interfering behaviors when given opportunities to be independent.

· EPRC members will increase their in-person or remote technical assistance with service providers who are using restraint. When determining which approach to take, members will use the least intrusive and most valuable approach to the entire team.

· The committee recommends DHS do what is feasible to build capacity and ensure that qualified professionals are competent to develop and implement positive support transition plans and other relevant support documents.

· The committee recommends that DHS look at existing studies, or conduct a study if needed, on barriers that prevent the development and successful implementation of effective positive behavior supports as they relate to positive support plans.

Closing

Members are invited to share additional updates and to recommend topics for upcoming committee meetings.

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