External Program Review Committee (EPRC) minutes

Date: Dec. 7, 2023

DSD liaisons: Stacie Enders and Ari Dionisopoulos

Type: Whole committee

Attendees: Antonina (Toni) Puente, Jodi Greenstein, Kim Frost, Melanie Eidsmoe, Victoria Anderson, Dan Baker, Stacy Danov and Laura Daire

Not present: Danielle Bishop, Lindsay Nash and Susie Haben

Agenda items

More information about what was discussed during the meeting can be found in the agenda.

Public comments

There were no public comments during this meeting.

Vote

The committee voted to approve the meeting minutes from November:

Updates to share

Direct care workforce shortage

For the positive support service rate increase, due to recent changes with the standard occupational classification codes through the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, it was discovered that the current proposal would actually lower the service rate for the positive support professional level rather than increase it. Since the goal was to increase that service rate, DHS will no longer pursue changing that code. However, DHS will still pursue changing the codes for the analyst and specialist levels of the service since those would result in increases if passed by the Legislature.

Discussion

Review of annual recommendations

DHS shared the following updates:

2023 Goal 2: Simplify and organize online DHS materials and training resources related to positive supports or intervention services

DHS continues to work on finalizing the new psychotropic medication manual – the manual is complete but a few more forms need to be finalized. When that manual is published, staff will have more time to focus on the new positive supports manual.

2023 Goal 3: Explore ways to improve access to positive support services

The request for proposals posting has closed and DHS is reviewing the applications. Three groups submitted bids. DHS will announce the winning bid once a contract is in place. DHS also recently developed a new equity analysis tool, which is being applied to this project. One of the equity concepts DHS will be working on is to evaluate if the project is successful. For example, one goal of the project is to reduce hospitalizations, but it will be difficult to know when the service contributes to a reduction in hospitalizations versus hundreds of other factors that can contribute to preventing a hospitalization. Options for measurement and other complex topics will continue to be evaluated over the next couple of years.

Closing

The new Olmstead agency lead is Heidi Hamilton, Disability Services Division director.