The ARC Minnesota: An advocacy organization that provides information, assistance, education and public policy leadership for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The Minnesota Brain Injury Alliance: A nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for Minnesotans affected by brain injury through advocacy and public policy.
Minnesota Disability Law Center: The designated protection and advocacy system for Minnesota. MDLC addresses the unique legal needs of Minnesotans with disabilities. MDLC provides free civil legal assistance to people with disabilities statewide on legal issues related to their disabilities. All people with disabilities are eligible to receive help, regardless of age or income level.
NAMI: An advocacy organization that works with people with mental illness, their families, professionals and the community by providing education, support and advocacy.
Ombudsmen: Ombudsmen work with people, families and service providers to promote person-centered care and to identify issues and advocate for change. Some examples include:
PACER: An advocacy organization that provides assistance, workshops, publications and other resources to help families make decisions about education and other services for their child or young adult with disabilities.
Self-advocacy: This page is a resource for people who use services, families, lead agencies and providers about how self-advocacy can support a person through family training and counseling. For information about how to authorize self-advocacy training for the disability waivers (BI, CAC, CADI, and DD), see CBSM – Family training and counseling.
Self-advocacy training and support opportunities in Minnesota (video): In this video, you’ll learn about Minnesota’s approach to provide more self-advocacy and community inclusion supports to Minnesotans with disabilities. Find out more about opportunities for people with disabilities to access self-advocacy training and support.
Social Security Advocacy: An advocacy organization that helps people with the application and appeal process. Advocates across the state are available to help a person by:
Acting as your authorized representative
Answering questions
Completing forms
Conducting an intake assessment
Filing appeals
Representing you at hearings.
Virtual Insight Panel: A panel of volunteers who help shape and inform communications and programs for people with disabilities. The panel was created and is managed by Disability Hub MN in partnership with the Department of Human Services.
WINGS (Working Interdisciplinary Networks of Guardianship Stakeholders): An organization that supports people, family, helpers, guardians and conservators through education to understand best practices, rights of people with guardians and responsibilities of guardians. The network is building a system that prioritizes supportive decision-making and less restrictive alternatives to guardianship. It seeks to maximize autonomy for people under guardianship and works to improve outcomes and increase self-determination for people who may need assistance making choices.
Assistive technology refers to devices, equipment or a combination of both that improve a person's ability to communicate in the community, control or access their environment and perform activities of daily living.
ARRM Technology Resource Center: Serves as Minnesota’s primary source for information on how to assess, plan, fund and implement various forms of technology supports.
Minnesota Department of Education: Supports a variety of initiatives designed to help ensure students with disabilities have access to appropriate assistive technology and receive a free, appropriate public education.
Minnesota Guide to Assistive Technology: This guide is designed to increase awareness of assistive technology and provide information to help with the consideration, selection, acquisition and use of assistive technology.
PACER Center: PACER's Simon Technology Center is dedicated to making the benefits of technology more accessible to children and adults with disabilities.
Technology for HOME: T4H is a state-funded service that offers at-home, in-person assistive technology (AT) consultation and technical assistance to help people with disabilities live more independently. People who want to stay in their own home or move to their own home direct the outcome. T4H helps with the AT resources.
Autism spectrum disorder and related conditions: This DHS webpage provides information about autism spectrum disorder, including information about the EIDBI benefit, data and reports, programs and resources.
EIDBI Policy Manual: This manual includes policy information about the EIDBI Benefit, an MHCP program for children and young adults with autism spectrum disorder and related conditions.
Minnesota Autism Resource Portal: A free, statewide resource that helps people find and connect with up-to-date information, services and supports related to autism spectrum disorder. The portal is a joint effort by multiple state agencies. It also includes resources from our community partners.
Disability Benefits 101: A resource that provides tools and information to help people with disabilities learn how income may impact benefits so they can make informed choices, reduce fears and ensure work is part of the plan.
MHCP Member Help Desk: People on Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCP) may call the member help desk with questions about Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare at 651-431-2670 or 800-657-3739.
DHS Traumatic Brain Injury Advisory Committee: Established in 1992, the Traumatic Brain Injury Advisory Committee provides recommendations to DHS on program development and issues concerning the health and human services needs of people with traumatic brain injuries (Minnesota Statutes, section 256B.093).
Alzheimer’s Association: Information on Alzheimer’s disease, symptoms, care and access to education, research, advocacy and local groups. The association also staffs a 24-hour helpline.
Brain Injury Alliance: Resource for caregivers who provide support to people with brain injury.
Family Caregiver Alliance: Resources for family caregivers for adults with physical and cognitive impairments, such as Parkinson's, stroke, Alzheimer's and other types of dementia.
Family Voices of Minnesota: A nonprofit organization that provides support and information for families raising children with disabilities, including parent groups, webinars and trainings.
Senior Linkage Line: A free service that connects older adults and their families with caregiving support that includes phone information and referral, caregiver skills classes, individual caregiver consulting, self-directed grants and limited respite care.
Renew My Coverage website: This page includes information about how to renew MA, COVID-19 timelines and preparing for renewals to resume.
Minnesota Department of Human Services bulletins: DHS bulletins are official communication to inform county and tribal staff, as well as other DHS business partners, about program changes and required actions by workers and partner agencies.
DHS Coping with COVID-19 webpage: Provides COVID-19 stress-related resources, and additional resources for mental health crisis help.
Crisis Text Line: Offers free help and resources for those who are having a mental health crisis or are contemplating suicide. Text MN to 741741. Services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week across Minnesota.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Toll-free number: 800-273- 8255.
Community-based services crisis and residential services
CBSM-Community Support Services (CSS): Information about CSS services, which provide short-term technical assistance and residential supports that includes mobile teams, crisis homes, and the Minnesota Life Bridge program.
Metro Crisis Coordination Program (MCCP): A program for people in crisis. MCCP provides and facilitates behavioral consultations, assessments and crisis respite, in partnership with their current services and supports in the seven-county metro area.
Minnesota Life Bridge: Residential treatment program for people with developmental disabilities or related conditions who exhibit severe behaviors that pose a risk to public safety.
Programs for children
Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health Services (CABHS): An inpatient psychiatric hospital for children ages 4 to 18. The hospital serves youth with complex mental illnesses and behavior disorders who cannot be treated in their home communities.
CBSM-Community Support Services (CSS): Information about CSS services, which provide short-term technical assistance and residential supports that includes mobile teams, crisis homes, and the Minnesota Life Bridge program.
Intensive treatment in foster care (ITFC): Comprehensive mental health service covered by Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCP). ITFC establishes policies and practices for certification and coverage of mental health services for children who require intensive levels of intervention in foster care. This program is provided in family foster homes. It is an add-on service over-and-above regular foster care for children and adolescents with severe emotional disturbance.
Metro Crisis Coordination Program (MCCP): A program for people in crisis. MCCP provides and facilitates behavioral consultations, assessments and crisis respite, in partnership with their current services and supports in the seven-county metro area.
Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTF): PRTFs provide services to children and youth with complex mental health conditions. PRTFs are more intensive than other services, such as residential treatment or day treatment, but less medically intensive than a psychiatric hospital or a psychiatric unit of a general hospital.
DHS Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division creates and delivers a wide range of innovative programs and services to help children and adults who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing.
Disability Hub MN Work Toolkit: Has information, training, resources and tools you can use to help people you support make informed choices about work.
Employment: This CBSM page provides policy, guidance and resources on employment services through the HCBS disability waivers.
Employment First webpage: Information about competitive, integrated employment, services, training and resources.
DHS Grants and RFPs: The Minnesota Department of Human Services regularly offers opportunities for grants and requests for proposals (RFPs). Occasionally, the department also asks partners and interested parties to respond to requests for information (RFIs). Receive emails of new grant and RFP opportunities.
MN Grants: This website provides a single entry point to state of Minnesota grant opportunities. Grant seekers can search for grant opportunities by state agency or by subject area by following the appropriate link. Please read grant announcements carefully as some state grant opportunities are only open to certain types of organizations, such as units of government.
Minnesota Elder Justice Center: Provides support, information and resources to older and vulnerable adults and their loved ones about issues of abuse, neglect and financial exploitation. The guardianship complaint advocate responds to complaints related to guardianship and conservatorship.
Supported decision-making may be an alternative to guardianship. Supported decision-making allows a person to make their own decisions with the support of people they trust.
Center for Excellence in Supported Decision Making: This organization supports people who are at risk of guardianship and/or conservatorship across Minnesota and their caregivers through consultation, referrals and information.
Honoring Choices: This resource shows you how to complete an advanced directive as an alternative to guardianship.
Missouri Stop Light Tool: A YouTube video showing the stop light tool to determine if someone needs guardianship.
National Resource Center for Supported Decision-Making: The center provides information about supported decision-making and connects you with people and organizations that may be able to help you and answer your questions.
Housing stabilization services: State Medicaid benefit for people with disabilities and seniors, designed to help people find and keep housing. This webpage provides information about finding an enrolled provider, policies, resources and training. People eligible for a disability or elderly waiver who need the services will meet criteria for Housing Stabilization Services.
Moving Home Minnesota: MHM is a federal demonstration project. The goal of MHM is to create opportunities for Minnesotans to move from institutions to their own home in the community. MHM promotes the development and implementation of transition plans that reflect the preferences of those receiving services and the opportunity to receive services in the most integrated setting. Link goes to Moving Home Minnesota program manual.
Relocation service coordination targeted case management (RSC-TCM): A form of TCM that provides coordination of activities to help a person who resides in an eligible institution gain access to medical, social, educational, financial, housing and other services and supports that are necessary to move to the community.
Where We Live is a documentary of the work that has been done for housing stabilization over the past 50 years in Minnesota and what is still needed for people continuing to experience housing instability. The film shows the viewer the progress of the work the housing agency has provided and how much more they would like to do to increase housing steadiness for all Minnesotans.
Minnesota Supplement Aid (MSA): Provides cash assistance to help adults who get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to pay for their basic needs.
Minnesota Supplement Aid (MSA) Housing Assistance: Helps people with disabilities afford their housing. It gives additional money per month to people on MSA who spend more than 40% of their income on housing.
Residential openings
MafoMN: Housing and service listings for people with disabilities and seniors in Minnesota
MCCP Search for Residential Openings: A website that case managers may access to look for a crisis or residential openings. The provider is responsible for the accuracy of the information.
Resources
Bridge to Benefits: Provides a list of resources related to housing and utilities for adults and youth.
Bridges Rental Assistance: Provides housing assistance for people with low incomes and a mental illness while they wait for a housing choice voucher (HCV) or another rental subsidy.
Disability Hub MN Housing Toolkit: This toolkit will introduce you to practical steps and helpful tools you can use to help people with disabilities explore available housing options as well as short- and long-term housing supports.
Housing Benefits 101 (HB101): An online resource to help people make informed choices about where they want to live. It helps lead agencies and the person's formal and informal supports engage people in the planning and transition process.
Housing Resources CBSM: This page is a resource for when someone says, "I want to move," or "I'm thinking about moving." It highlights steps for a case manager or assessor to take in order to support someone to move.
Licensing Information Lookup: Provides public information on programs licensed by DHS and identifies any corrective actions associated with a license.
Fast-Tracker: A searchable directory of mental health and substance use disorder resources and their availability within Minnesota.
Adult Mental Health DHS page: DHS supports a wide range of mental health services across the state. Find out what mental health services are available and how they can help.
Person-centered practices: DHS public webpage about person-centered practices. It answers frequently asked questions and contains information about person-centered planning facilitators.
Positive Supports: DHS public webpage that provides information and background for positive supports. Other positive supports resources:
Positive Supports Minnesota: This website is for providers, educators, caregivers, people who receive services and others who support them. It provides information about various topics, events and training materials.
Positive Supports Tips: Provides information about strategies you can try to further support the people you work with. These tips could be used by lead agency staff, providers and other caregivers.
Adult Protection public service announcement videos: The video links below may be used for education and outreach for the public on who is a vulnerable adult, what might be maltreatment and how to refer adults who might be in need of Adult Protection Services by reporting to MAARC. The videos are posted to YouTube and may be embedded and shared:
CBSM-Adult protection: Policy information about adult protection, maltreatment and mandated reporting.
Fraud reporting: If you have heard about or seen instances of potential fraud, waste or abuse in DHS programs, DHS wants to know. You can report potential fraud through the Minnesota Fraud Hotline Form or by calling 651-431-3968 or 800-627-9977.
Minnesota's county and tribal child protection agencies: If you have concerns about child abuse, neglect or sexual abuse, contact and report it to the county or tribal nation where the child lives during business hours. If the child is in immediate risk of harm, please contact your local law enforcement agency or dial 911.
Department of Human Services Licensing: DHS licenses service providers and monitors and investigates their compliance with Minnesota laws and rules. Licensing protects the health, safety and rights of those who receive services by requiring that providers meet minimum standards. For more information, see the Licensing General information page.
Electronic visit verification: The 21st Century Cures Act requires providers of personal care, including personal care assistance (PCA) and some waiver services and home health care providers to use electronic visit verification to document that people are receiving the services that are billed to the state.
MHCP Provider Manual: This online Minnesota Health Care Program manual is your primary information source for MHCP coverage policies, rates and billing procedures.
Minnesota Health Care Programs Provider Call Center: This is a resource for providers when they need assistance or have questions on topics such as coverage policies, billing procedures, payment, MN-ITS, enrollment and verifying member eligibility.
CBSM-Self-advocacy: This page is a resource for people who use services, families, lead agencies and providers about how self-advocacy can support a person through family training and counseling. For information about how to authorize self-advocacy training, see CBSM – Family training and counseling. https://www.dhs.state.mn.us/main/idcplg?IdcService=GET_DYNAMIC_CONVERSION&RevisionSelectionMethod=LatestReleased&dDocName=ID_002195
Consumer-directed community supports: Information about consumer directed community supports (CDCS), which is a self-directed service and support option that gives people choice and flexibility with their services and supports, including hiring their own support staff (e.g., parents, spouses, relatives and friends).
Consumer Support Grant Program: Information about the Consumer Support Grant (CSG), a state-funded alternative to Medicaid home care services of home health aide, personal care assistance and/or private duty nursing. The CSG program gives people greater flexibility and freedom of choice in service selection, including hiring their own support staff (e.g., parents, spouses, relatives and friends).
PCA Choice: Information about personal care assistance (PCA) services, which help a person with day-to-day activities in their home and community. PCA choice offers people greater control and choice.
State Services for the Blind offers tools and training for employment, living independently and accessing print. They assist Minnesotans who are blind, DeafBlind, losing vision or who have a disability that makes it difficult to read print. The site includes tools and training for employment and for helping seniors remain independent and active.
Waiver Reimagine: Aims to simplify the waiver system and create more options for people who access disability waiver services and their families.
Waiver Reimagine FAQs: Basic information about waiver services and Waiver Reimagine.
Waiver Reimagine Advisory Committee: The committee provides feedback and is helping to develop several proposed plans for Waiver Reimagine. The WRAC began meeting in early 2022. We hold virtual meetings every other month for a total of six meetings per year.
Direct care workforce shortage in Minnesota: Information about the background of the direct care workforce shortage crisis in Minnesota, state-sponsored workgroups, and additional resources.
Direct care workforce resources: A list of programs and resources available to help people plan for staffing shortages. Resources are available for counties and tribal nations, provider agencies and people interested in a career as a direct support professional.
Guide for emergency backup planning: a resource that provides best practices, guidance and resources for case managers and care coordinators to help people develop and document backup plans for staffing emergencies.
My Move Plan Summary: Information about the My Move Plan Summary, which is a summary of the person’s plan when they move from one residence to another and do not intend to return. The case manager, care coordinator or support planner creates the My Move Plan Summary with the person.
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