Page reviewed:

Page updated: 5/18/26

Legal authority

Federally approved Brain Injury (BI), Community Alternative Care (CAC), Community Access for Disability Inclusion (CADI) and Developmental Disabilities (DD) waiver plans, Minn. Stat. §245D.03

Overview

This page provides additional policy about staffing requirements for positive support services available under the BI, CAC, CADI and DD waivers.

For more information (e.g., covered and non-covered services, etc.), refer to CBSM – Positive support services.

Roles

There are three staff levels associated with positive support services:

The following sections on this page provide information about these staff levels.

Multiple staff level authorizations

When authorizing this service, the lead agency always must authorize a waiver positive support professional. Additionally, the lead agency can authorize a waiver positive support analyst and/or specialist based on the following factors:

Waiver positive support professional

Roles and responsibilities

Waiver positive support professionals can do the following tasks:

1. Complete an individualized functional behavior assessment.

2. Work with the person to develop a person-centered, positive-practice, individualized behavior support plan and/or positive support transition plan that identifies specific, proactive and reactive intervention strategies, if necessary.

3. Distribute the plan(s) to the person and their team members.

4. Evaluate effectiveness of the service and interventions.

5. Modify the plan(s) as necessary.

6. Provide onsite instructional learning to staff and caregivers about the use of behavioral interventions.

7. Supervise waiver positive support analysts and waiver positive support specialists.

8. Train waiver positive support analysts and specialists, direct support professionals, other paid staff, caregivers, family or other people who implement the behavior support plan.

Competencies

A waiver positive support professional must have competencies in the following areas:

Licensing requirements

In addition, the waiver positive support professional must meet at least one of the following requirements:

1. Psychologist licensed under Minn. Stat. §148.88 to §148.98.

2. Independent clinical social worker licensed under Minn. Stat. Ch. 148E.

3. Master’s degree in social work from an accredited college or university with at least 4,000 hours of post-master’s supervised experience in the delivery of clinical service in the competency areas listed above.

4. Physician licensed under Minn. Stat. Ch. 147 and certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, or eligible for board certification in psychiatry with demonstrated experience in the competency areas listed above.

5. Licensed professional clinical counselor under Minn. Stat. §148B.50 to148B.593 with at least 4,000 hours of post-master’s supervised experience in the delivery of clinical services with demonstrated experience in the competency areas listed above.

6. Master's degree from an accredited college or university in one of the behavioral sciences or related fields, with at least 4,000 hours of post-master's supervised experience in the delivery of clinical services with demonstrated competencies in the competency areas listed above.

7. Master’s degree or Ph.D. in one of the behavioral sciences or related field with demonstrated expertise in positive support services, as determined by the person’s case manager, based on the person’s needs outlined in their assessment summary.

8. Registered nurse licensed under Minn. Stat. §148.171 to §148.285 who has demonstrated experience in the competency areas listed above and fulfills one of the following requirements:

9. Completed a competency-based training program as determined by DHS.

Waiver positive support analyst

Roles and responsibilities

Waiver positive support analysts can do the following tasks:

1. Complete an individualized functional behavior assessment.

2. Oversee the implementation of the person-centered positive support transition plan and/or behavior support plan.

3. Train and direct waiver positive support specialist staff, other paid staff, caregivers, family or other people who implement the positive support transition plan or the positive behavior support plan.

4. Supervise data collection by waiver positive support specialists, staff and caregivers.

5. Provide feedback to and coordinate with the waiver positive support professional.

Experience

Waiver positive support analysts must have one of the following:

Waiver positive support analysts must have one of the following qualifications:

Requirements

Additionally, waiver positive support analysts must meet all the following requirements within 90 calendar days of hire:

1. 10 hours of instruction in functional behavior assessment and functional analysis.
Note: To complete a functional behavior assessment as required by Minn. R. 9544.0040, the provider must meet the definition of qualified professional in Minn. R. 9544.0020, subp. 47.

2. 20 hours of instruction on understanding the function of behavior.

3. 10 hours of instruction on the design of positive practices behavior support planning.

4. 20 hours of instruction on:

5. Eight hours of instruction on principles of person-centered thinking.

6. Determination by a waiver positive support professional to have the training and prerequisite skills required to provide:

7. Clinical supervision by a waiver positive support professional.

For information about training that can meet some of these requirements, refer to the training section on this page.

Waiver positive support specialist

Roles and responsibilities

Waiver positive support specialists can do the following tasks:

1. Complete an individualized functional behavior assessment.

2. Implement the person-centered positive support transition plan and/or behavior support plan.

3. Collect and record behavioral data.

4. Communicate questions or concerns to the waiver positive support professional or waiver positive support analyst.

Experience

Waiver positive support specialists must have one of the following qualifications:

Requirements

Additionally, waiver positive support specialists must meet all the following requirements within 90 calendar days of hire:

1. A minimum of four hours of training in functional behavior assessments.
Note: To complete a functional behavior assessment as required by Minn. R. 9544.0040, the provider must meet the definition of qualified professional in Minn. R. 9544.0020, subp. 47.

2. 20 hours of instruction in the understanding of the function of behavior.

3. 10 hours of instruction on design of positive practice behavioral support strategies.

4. Eight hours of instruction on person-centered thinking principles.

5. A determination by a waiver positive support professional to have the training and prerequisite skills required to provide positive practice strategies as well as behavior reduction approved intervention to the person who receives positive support services.

6. Direct supervision by a waiver positive support professional.

A person who meets the qualifications for a positive support professional can substitute those qualifications for the waiver positive support specialist experience and requirements.

For information about training that can meet some of these requirements, refer to the training section on this page.

Training

DirectCourse offers the “DHS-MN-Positive Support Specialist Training Module” to meet requirements for positive support specialists and positive support analysts.

Details

Note about positive support specialist training requirements

Positive support specialists are required to meet a minimum number of training credits in specific topics. Taking the DirectCourse positive support specialist training module accounts for 18 of the 42 total hours of training credits. The remaining training credits include: