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External Program Review Committee (EPRC) agenda

Date: 2-4 p.m. Oct. 6, 2022

DSD liaisons: Stacie Enders, Linda Wolford and Ari Dionisopoulos

Type: Whole committee

Location: Room 2222, Elmer L. Andersen Building, 540 Cedar St., St. 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 the last meeting and vote.

Updates to share

Direct care workforce shortage

· DHS has selected two vendors to distribute the training stipends for traditional PCA workers and the bonuses for all workers who have put in two years of service with the same employer.

· The employee-owned cooperatives opportunity will open for applications in early October.

· The lead agency technology communication for October will focus on using technology to give people a voice, which can be particularly important when there are new staff who might not understand what the person is trying to communicate with their behaviors and gestures.

· The Community Capacity and Positive Supports Team continues to work on posting workforce-related information online. New materials will be announced via eList when available.

· Legislative ideas continue to be explored. The workforce shortage co-leads for Disability Services continue to strongly encourage everyone to work across sectors and service types, to reduce competition between similar employers for the same worker pool.

· Projects and initiatives mentioned in other meetings continue to move forward, even if an update is not listed here. Updates will be generally limited to new information only.

Subcommittee updates

Requests for approval subcommittee

This subcommittee continues to provide technical assistance to service providers.

Emergency use of manual restraint subcommittee

This subcommittee would like to discuss the September nursing strike.

Discussion

Updating online materials for service providers

The committee will support DHS in improving online information for 245D-licensed service providers, particularly intervention service providers. Over the next year, DHS and the committee will:

· Create an inventory of all online training, forms, webpages and other materials managed by DHS that relate to the committee’s work

· Remove outdated materials

· Identify materials that need updating, and create revised materials

· Identify information gaps and resource needs, and create new materials

· Organize a small group of webpages that summarize and categorize these materials for providers, to create one-stop-shops for them to find the information they need.

· The goals of this project are to:

· Provide access to high quality, effective resources and information

· Make it easier for people to find the information they need quickly.

Review of annual recommendations

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

1. 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.

2. 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 may 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 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, and 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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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