External Program Review Committee (EPRC) minutes

Date: May 1, 2025

DSD liaisons: Jessica Little and Ari Dionisopoulos

Type: Whole committee

Attendees: Kim Frost, Laura Daire, Susie Haben, Melanie Eidsmoe, Antonina Puente, Jodi Greentstein

Not present: Lindsay Nash, Dan Baker

Vote

The committee discussed and voted on the minutes from April 2025.

Jodi Greenstein: Yes

Kim Frost: Yes

Daniel Baker: Absent

Antonina Puente: Yes

Lindsay Nash: Absent

Susie Haben: Abstain

Melanie Eidsmoe: Yes

Laura Daire: Yes

The committee discussed and voted on the EPRC Annual Report 2025.

Jodi Greenstein: Yes

Kim Frost: Yes

Daniel Baker: Absent

Antonina Puente: Yes

Lindsay Nash: Absent

Susie Haben: Yes

Melanie Eidsmoe: Yes

Laura Daire: Yes

Updates to share

Regional positive support capacity building meetings

More information can be found at: Regional Capacity Building – Positive Supports (qualitycouncilmn.org).

Discussion: April 9 was the regional group meeting for all regions. Stacy Danov presented on person centered training opportunities and the different levels available. Discussed associated costs and available stipends to help access. Communication feedback loop was mentioned as a way to bring ideas to DSD and then bringing that to the relevant groups.

Simplify and organize online DHS materials and training resources related to positive supports or intervention services.

No updates on the training inventory.

Intervention Services Redesign

Group is working through a draft outline of the potential service.

Direct care workforce shortage

The governor has a workgroup examining workforce topics. For details, review:

· Workforce Shortage / One Minnesota Plan

· Workforce Inventory Phase 1 | Tableau Public

· Interagency Workforce Alignment (IWA) - Plan to address workforce shortages in multiple sectors

Supporting new Americans in the LTC workforce grant program

There will be a listening session for this initiative on May 7: AASD and DSD eList: Supporting new Americans in the LTC workforce grant program listening session

DEED updates

· In 2023, 26.1% of Minnesota's total foreign-born workforce worked in education and health service jobs: The Growth and Impact of Minnesota’s Foreign-Born Workforce. According to 2023 U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey’s one-year estimates extracted from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series or IPUMS, Minnesota’s nursing, psychiatric and home health aides had the most foreign-born workers of any occupation, with more than 17,100 such workers in 2023. Other occupations with more than 10,000 foreign-born workers included registered nurses, managers and other production workers. Foreign-born workers are both more likely to fill occupations that have low educational requirements such as drivers and janitors/building cleaners as well as occupations with high educational requirements such as chemists and materials scientists, computer scientists and physicians.

· The one-year estimates from the American Community Survey also reveal significant and rapid growth of foreign-born workers in Minnesota. Between 2013 and 2023, there were more than 78,400 additional foreign-born workers in the state. This growth rate of 27.2% far outpaced the growth rate for total employment during this period, at 5.2%. Leading this growth, both registered nurses and nursing, psychiatric and home health aides had an additional 8,500 foreign-born workers between 2013 and 2023.

· DEED also shared: In presentations at high school events last year, students from across central and southwest Minnesota were asked what type of job they are most interested in, and DEED got roughly 1,500 responses. In line with historical trends for this question, the highest interest was in health science and human services, reflecting the desire of more than a quarter of all students. Despite the turmoil of the health care sector during the COVID-19 pandemic, student interest has rebounded to levels we saw in the 2010s. Student Intention and Behavior Following HS Graduation.

Additional resource

How to use ChatGPT in ABA Therapy – YouTube video illustrating ethical use of ChatGPT in ABA Therapy.

Subcommittee updates

Requests for approval subcommittee

Business as usual.

Emergency use of manual restraint subcommittee

Anticipate elimination of one mechanical restraint based on no utilization for two years.

Discussion

Annual goals

The committee will review their 2025 goal: Create and maintain training materials as needs are discovered and as project opportunities emerge. Some projects might include: PSTP examples, reinforcement (token) programs, implementing 9544 for 245D providers, trainings for specific behaviors or disorders (PICA, fecal smearing, self-harm ingestion) and relating that to Minnesota regulations.

This goal is meant to reflect the committee’s commitment to providers by giving them resources that align with the goal of reducing the use of prohibited procedures and increasing the use of positive supports. Spending time working with providers gives them a great perspective on topics that need further explanation.

Discussion: Meeting schedule for April 17, four PSTP examples total – differing examples include child, teenage, mental health diagnosis and communication (non-verbal factors). Will schedule another meeting to finalize all copies, process has brought to light areas that might need further explanation.

New member process: Jessica will bring together existing resources to review and requests any members who have additional materials to share those via email.

In-person meeting schedule:

· May: Kim

· June: Dan

· July:

· August: Toni

· September: Kim

· October: Jodi

· November: Toni

· December:

Note to committee

We have moved all committee documents from SharePoint to our shared S drive.