Find in Table of Contents:

External Program Review Committee (EPRC) minutes

Date: Jan. 2, 2025

DSD liaisons: Stacie Enders, Jessica Little and Ari Dionisopoulos

Type: Whole committee

Attendees: Jodi Greenstein, Laura Daire, Lindsay Nash, Melanie E., Susie Haben, Kim Frost

Not present: Dan Baker, Danielle Bishop, Antonina (Toni) Puente

Vote

The committee voted on the minutes from December 2024:

· Jodi Greenstein: Yes

· Laura Daire: Yes

· Lindsay Nash: Abstain

· Melanie Eidsmoe: Yes

· Susie Haben: Abstain

· Kim Frost: Yes

2025 meeting calendar

The committee discussed when it will work on the following tasks:

· Reviewing the committee manuals for updates: February-May 2025.

· Reviewing the committee core responsibilities outlines for updates: February-May 2025.

· Drafting the committee’s annual report, which must be published online by June 30, 2025: February-May 2025.

· Identifying the committee’s 2025 goals: February-May 2025.

Updates to share

Committee achievements

Below are a few of the achievements to note that this committee, in partnerships with other areas of DHS, has accomplished:

· 50% reduction in BIRF’s since the committee began

· Developed positive relationships with many providers and worked together to reduce restraint use

· Developed the Psychotropic Medication Manual

· Developed tools:

For helping people develop additional communication skills

For assessing quality of life

For assessing the quality of a functional behavior assessment (checklist)

· Updated PSTP documents:

Modified the Quality of Life section that is no longer being routinely skipped by providers

Developed a twin section to the targeted behaviors for development of desired alternate behaviors

Added many examples and more instructions to the documents.

Regional positive support capacity building meetings

Committee members are invited to give any updates they may have on this topic. More information can be found at: Regional Capacity Building – Positive Supports (qualitycouncilmn.org).

Direct care workforce shortage

ARRM recently shared with stakeholders the following:

· Their 2024 industry report, which gives their members data on staff and supervisors wages, turnover and vacancy rates, program closures, impact of service recipient absences, ability to comply with cost reporting and profits/losses history and projections.

· Their 2025 legislative priorities, which focus on workforce, service rates, changes to support for people who cannot live with others and technology.

Subcommittee updates

Requests for approval subcommittee

This subcommittee wanted to share that a person has added music therapy with other support strategies.

Emergency use of manual restraint subcommittee

This subcommittee has been conducting business as usual.

Discussion

Annual goals

The committee reviewed their 2024 goals, which are listed in no particular order:

Provide resources and guidance for improving communication skills.

Current thought regarding creating a video training – to wait until current resources are publicized and need for video training is assessed.

Explore ways to improve access to positive support services.

· Waitlists for positive support services continue to be long, often taking several months to start services. This can be a safety concern for people and their teams when the person is engaging in serious aggressive or self-injurious behaviors. The committee recommends DHS continue working towards increasing positive support service capacity.

· Met with federal team in regards to system redesign – likely will stick with waiver services vs. state services. To further inform that decision, a shared definition of target audience will be developed within the team.

Support efforts to improve the direct care workforce shortage.

· Wages resource drafts may take longer to present. An explanation of service agreements will be needed to address why wages are what they are. Goal for draft is summer 2025.

· Caregiver living expense resource has been going well, posting will happen we hope, by the end of February 2025.

Closing

Committee members are welcome to ask questions or bring up other topics for discussion.

Committee members are asked to prepare their ideas for the committee’s February meeting on what goals they would like the committee to work on for 2025.

Committee member are also asked to send Jessica any accomplishments or other things they would like to highlight for the committee’s 2024 annual report.

Feedback requested by Jan. 29, 2025, in order to add to agenda for next whole committee meeting.

Report this page

Community-Based Services Manual (CBSM)