External Program Review Committee (EPRC) minutes

Date: July 2, 2026
DSD liaisons: Jessica Little and Ari Dionisopoulos
Type: Whole committee
Attendance: Jodi Greenstein, Sharon Momanyi, Melanie Eidsmoe, Laura Daire, Daniel Baker
Absent: Lindsay Nash, Antonina Puente, Kim Frost

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

No members of the public attended today’s meeting.

Vote

The committee will discuss and vote on the minutes from June 2026.

· Daniel Baker: Yes

· Laura Daire: Yes

· Melanie Eidsmoe: Yes

· Kim Frost: Absent

· Antonina Puente: Absent

· Jodi Greenstein: Yes

· Lindsay Nash: Absent

· Sharon Momanyi: Yes

Updates to share

Regional positive support capacity building meetings

No discussion.

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

No current updates.

Intervention services redesign

The survey is complete and responses are being reviewed.

Direct care workforce shortage

· Community First Services and Supports (CFSS) budget increases

On June 1, 2026, some people who use the CFSS budget model started receiving more money in their budgets. DHS is making this change to help cover higher wages for direct support workers with more than 1,000 hours of experience. For more information, refer to: AASD and DSD eList: CFSS budget increases.

· Payment increases for consumer directed services: AASD and DSD eList: Increase to maximum payment for spouses and parents of minors in CDCS

· DEED updates

July is Follow Your Heart to a Caring Career Month - Follow your heart to a caring career infographic

Minnesota’s new labor exchange went live on June 15, 2026. DEED announced the roll-out of CareerForce.MN.gov as the state’s official online labor exchange, replacing MinnesotaWorks.net. The new site is mobile-friendly, has more job search resources and is easier to access. For more information, visit: Minnesota's New Labor Exchange Going Live Today.

Job opportunities in MN outpaced U.S. growth in April: While having lots of job opportunities is great for Minnesotans in general, it can be difficult for direct care services employers to compete with all those other opportunities. News / Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development

DEED’s RETAIN program helps workers in staying at or returning to work after illness or injury: DEED Developments Blog / Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. Data on work-related injuries for direct care professionals: Back injuries prominent in work-related musculoskeletal disorder cases in 2016. Healthcare - Safe Patient Handling | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

· National Core Indicators – Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (NCI-IDD) family survey results indicate workforce issues

Families report that support workers change too often. Among Child Family Survey respondents, about 1 in 4 (28%) say support workers change too often, while among Family Guardian Survey respondents, 1 in 2 (47%) report this. This finding aligns with results from the National Core Indicators – IDD State of the Workforce, which shows consistently high rates of turnover among direct support professionals (DSPs). At the same time, families report that support workers always or usually have the right information and skills to meet the family’s needs. This points to the importance of statewide efforts to address workforce shortages and retain high-quality support workers.

View the full 2024–2025 NCI-IDD Family Survey National Reports. For a comprehensive overview of the results of the National Core Indicators - Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities - Family Survey National Reports 2024-2025, see the “At-a-Glance” infographic.

· Other things happening around the U.S.

Federal: Senate Finance Committee ranking member Ron Wyden (D-OR) and 16 other Democratic Finance Committee members have released a “Dear Colleague” letter launching a LTSS reform initiative. The letter describes three goals that will be the focus for policy development among the group: (a) Make home care affordable and accessible, (b) Improve the quality of care in nursing homes, and (c) Use incentives to strengthen the long-term care workforce. The letter indicates that “Finance Committee staff will develop policies to invest in Medicaid home- and community-based services and establish a home care guarantee for people with Medicare.” The lawmakers will also focus on nursing home quality and on strengthening the long-term care workforce.

New Jersey: New Jersey Human Services has launched a new Direct Care Professional Advisory Council to help guide state efforts to strengthen, grow and stabilize the direct care workforce. The council stems from the state’s Direct Care Workforce Strategic Plan and will convene over the next year to provide feedback on programs and policies affecting direct care professionals. Learn more on the Human Services Launches Direct Care Professional Advisory Council webpage. Read the full New Jersey Direct Care Workforce Strategic Plan.

Subcommittee updates

Requests for approval subcommittee

This subcommittee has been conducting business as usual.

Emergency use of manual restraint subcommittee

This subcommittee has been conducting business as usual.

Discussion

Annual goal

Support initiatives that streamline compliance with positive support regulations to reduce administrative burden and advance efforts that foster psychological safety in the workplace for providers.