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Community-Based Services Manual (CBSM)

Community-Based Services Manual (CBSM)


DSD eList announcement

Date: Sept. 2, 2025
To: Employment and day services providers
From: DHS Disability Services Division
Purpose: To promote training on Minnesota’s employment services available through DirectCourse
Contact: dhs.dsd_cds@state.mn.us

DirectCourse employment services training

DHS encourages employment and day services providers to:

  • · Review the training on Minnesota’s employment services available through DirectCourse.
  • · Use DirectCourse College of Employment Services (CES) courses to meet Association of Community Rehabilitation Educators (ACRE) certification requirements, Credentialed Employment Support Professional (CESP) certification requirements and DHS competencies.
  • · Consider the free and low-cost options to access DirectCourse.
  • DirectCourse CES

    DirectCourse CES offers customizable courses for people who support people with disabilities as they search for, find and maintain competitive integrated employment. For more information, refer to DHS – CES.

    ACRE certification

    To receive ACRE certification, DirectCourse learners must complete both of the following:

  • · 12 courses in the CES curriculum ACRE approved for its certification.
  • · CES ACRE 2025 fieldwork course.
    Note: The fieldwork course costs $225 per person.
  • CES crosswalk for training and certification support

    The University of Minnesota Institute on Community Integration (ICI) designed a crosswalk (i.e., a series of charts that connect training requirements to training modules) to support CES learners in Minnesota. If you need to meet a certain rule or regulation, the crosswalk will help you find courses that meet the requirements.

    For example, the CES crosswalk explains how CES can help providers:

  • · Align training with Minnesota DHS competencies.
  • · Meet ACRE training requirements.
  • · Achieve the Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE) national competencies, including CESP certification domains.
  • For more information, refer to DirectCourse MN Crosswalks – ACRE Competency Domains & CESP Certification and Suggested College of Employment Supports.

    Free access to DirectCourse for individuals and organizations

    The following people may set up their own DirectCourse account for free:

  • · People with disabilities and their family members.
  • · Direct service professionals, licensed professionals and caregivers who do not work for an organization.
  • · Organizations that serve nine or fewer people with disabilities.
  • · State, county and tribal nation employees.
  • Low-cost access to DirectCourse

    Organizations that serve 10 or more people with disabilities may set up learner and administrator accounts for an annual licensing fee based on the organization’s number of learners:

  • · Fewer than 60 learners: $560 per year.
  • · 60 to 119 learners: $1,070 per year.
  • · 120 to 199 learners: $2,195 per year.
  • Sign up for DirectCourse

    To request DirectCourse access through DHS, refer to DHS – Request for learner account. After you submit the form, you will receive enrollment instructions via email in two to three business days.

    Previous eList announcements

    DSD LEAD AGENCY ARCHIVE | DSD STAKEHOLDER ARCHIVE

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