External Program Review Committee (EPRC) agenda

Date: 2-4 p.m. on Dec. 4, 2025
DSD liaisons: Jessica Little and Ari Dionisopoulos
Type: Whole committee
Location: Room 2222, Elmer L. Andersen Building, 540 Cedar St., St. Paul, MN 55101
Meeting link
Access code: 2482 703 7275
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

· CFSS: Community First Services and Supports

· 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 and vote on the minutes from November 2025.

Updates to share

Regional positive support capacity building meetings

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

Simplify and organize online DHS materials and training resources related to positive support services

TTC stated within the next few weeks there should be a draft of Minnesota Rule 9544 for 245D-licensed providers training available for review.

Intervention services redesign

The project continues to move forward.

Direct care workforce shortage

· DEED shared What’s Driving Growth in Self-Employment? Related to sectors overseen by DHS/DCYF/MDH, DEED noted: “Health Care and Social Assistance told a more complicated story. Overall, the sector lost more than 1,000 nonemployers over the past 20 years, but beneath the surface, the mix shifted dramatically. For example, solo practices in mental health nearly tripled, adding almost 3,000 establishments. Home health care providers more than doubled, while "all other" health practitioners — ranging from alternative medicine to specialized therapies — also saw sharp increases. At the same time, declines in diagnostic labs, optometry and podiatry offset much of that growth. Perhaps most striking, child care services were cut in half, falling by more than 11,000 establishments, a 54% decline that has serious implications for families, employers and communities across Minnesota.”

· More than 30 union members from MAPE, AFSCME and MNA, including some with their families, held an information picket at the Community Behavioral Health Hospital in Annandale this month to highlight the escalating worker safety crisis there. Read more.

· Learn more about Paid Leave starting Jan. 1, 2026: Minnesota Paid Leave.

· Minnesota honored family caregivers in November. The social media posting had more than 100 likes. It was DHS’s fourth highest ranking in 2025 for likes and reactions.

Subcommittee updates

Requests for approval subcommittee

Variety and consistency of therapy seems to be beneficial.

Emergency use of manual restraint subcommittee

This subcommittee has been conducting business as usual.

Discussion

Annual goal

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

Training opportunities

MIRS

· Introductory training to the MIRS (11:04 minutes)

· MIRS account access instructions for authorized agents (7:50 minutes)

· How to create and edit MIRS accounts for your employees (3:40 minutes)

· How to log in to MIRS for all users except authorized agents (4:14 minutes)

· How to use MIRS reports to evaluate interfering behaviors (19:46 minutes)

Healthcare and Social Assistance in the Metro Area

Thursday, Dec. 11, 9 to 10:30 a.m.: This presentation examines the Twin Cities metro area's health care workforce using current labor market data from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). The presentation will cover employment numbers and demographic shifts, wages, job vacancies and occupational demand, and future projections. These insights support practical workforce planning and development in the region's health care sector. Register online with DEED.

Closing

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