DSD eList announcement
Date: March 4, 2025
To: Lead agencies, people who receive disability waiver services and their families, disability and behavioral health advocates, providers and other interested parties
From: DHS Disability Services Division
Purpose: To announce updates about residential support services criteria implementation
Effective: July 1, 2025
Contact: DSD Contact Form
Residential support services criteria implementation
Effective July 1, 2025, DHS will implement new residential support services criteria as required under Minn. Stat. §256B.49, subd. 29 and Minn. Stat. §256B.092, subd. 11. This change:
· Requires people to meet criteria to access community residential services (CRS) and customized living (CL) services. · Reserves access to CRS and CL for people who have complex behavioral health needs or complex medical needs. We are making this change to:
· Increase residential support service availability for people who have complex behavioral health needs or complex medical needs.· Increase independent living for people with disabilities in accordance with Minn. Stat. §256B.4905 and Minnesota’s Olmstead Plan.· Reinforce Minnesota’s Informed Choice for Community and Independent Living First policy (as described in Minn. Stat. §256B.4905) by requiring the person’s support planning team to use a person-centered and informed decision-making process to determine all other available non-provider owned and least restrictive living options do not meet the person’s support needs before they access provider-owned or managed living arrangements.Legal authority
On Dec. 31, 2024, DHS received approval from the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to implement new residential support services criteria as required under Minn. Stat. §256B.49, subd. 29 and Minn. Stat. §256B.092, subd. 11.
Applicability
The residential support services criteria apply to people on:
· Brain Injury (BI), Community Alternative Care (CAC), Community Access for Disability Inclusion (CADI) and Developmental Disabilities (DD) waivers who receive CRS service authorization after July 1, 2025.· BI and CADI waivers who receive CL (including 24-hour CL) service authorization after July 1, 2025.The residential support services criteria do not apply to people on:
· Elderly Waiver (EW) or Alternative Care (AC) program.· BI, CAC, CADI and DD waivers who have active service authorizations for CRS on July 1, 2025, and continual authorization for the same service. · BI and CADI waivers who have active service authorizations for CL on July 1, 2025, and continual authorization for the same service. Implementation timeline
DHS plans to implement the new residential support services criteria as follows:
· April 2025: Conduct lead agency focus groups to get input on guidance and new processes. · May 2025: Update the Community-Based Services Manual (CBSM) with residential support services criteria policy and guidance.· June 2025: Hold lead agency training.· July and August 2025: Hold open office hours.More information
DHS will send eList announcements about residential support services criteria updates.
Previous eList announcements
DSD LEAD AGENCY ARCHIVE | DSD STAKEHOLDER ARCHIVE
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