AASD and DSD eList announcement

Date: Oct. 28, 2025
To: Lead agency staff and all interested parties
From: DHS Aging and Adult Services and Disability Services divisions
Purpose: To announce DHS’ participation in the National Core Indicators (NCI) initiative, which will start in October 2025
Effective: Immediately
Contact: For questions about disability waivers, use the DSD Contact Form. For questions about Alternative Care (AC), Essential Community Supports (ECS) and Elderly Waiver (EW), email dhs.aasd.hcbs@state.mn.us.

2025-2026 NCI initiative

DHS is participating in the NCI initiative to gather feedback from people with disabilities and older adults who receive home and community-based services (HCBS) and supports. Minnesota is one of more than 45 states participating in the NCI initiative.

How does the NCI initiative work?

Vital Research is an outside group interviewing people with disabilities and older adults who receive HCBS and their families/guardians. Vital Research interviewers will contact people by letter and/or phone to ask them to participate in an interview. They will conduct the interviews in person, by video conference or by phone from October 2025 to March 2026.

DHS will use data from NCI to:

· Support efforts to strengthen long-term care policy.

· Inform quality assurance activities.

· Compare Minnesota’s data with national norms.

What do lead agencies need to do?

Lead agencies may receive questions from people invited to participate in this initiative. To prepare for questions, refer to Vital Research – Minnesota NCI. This website includes:

· NCI initiative overview.

· Information for guardians.

· Information about interviewers, including photos.

· Letters sent to people.

· Frequently asked questions.

· Contact information.

Previous eList announcements

AASD LEAD AGENCY ARCHIVE | DSD LEAD AGENCY ARCHIVE | DSD STAKEHOLDER ARCHIVE