Adult protection: policies and procedure

The Minnesota Adult Protection Recommended Training Plan (PDF) introduces adult protection professionals to important adult protection concepts, statues and principles. DHS recommends all professionals working in APS complete all sections of the training plan. This recommendation is consistent with DHS authority under powers and duties of the commissioner to require participation in training and technical assistance programs to promote compliance with statute, rules and policies for adult protection as an essential human services program.

By following the recommended training plan, APS professionals support equity and consistency in service response and outcomes that safeguard and promote dignity for adults who are vulnerable, regardless of their location in Minnesota.

The recommended training plan contributes to successful onboarding for new APS professionals and helps APS professionals meet statutorily required education requirements of 8 hours annual training specific to adult protection duties (626.557 Subd. 9e).

Questions? Please email DHS Adult Protection.

Minnesota Adult Protection eLearning courses are accessed through iSpring, the MN Adult Protection learning management system (LMS), a software application that manages and delivers training content. The dedicated MN Adult Protection LMS provides on-demand, self-paced eLearning courses for APS professionals across the state. Content includes foundational eLearning courses, Cultural Responsiveness Diversity Information Sheets and more. 

Complete the following steps to access the MN Adult Protection eLearning materials: 

1. Register for iSpring by selecting the iSpring registration link and filling out the sign-up form
2. Select the “Catalog” tab to view the available courses
3. Click a course title and select “Add to My Courses” to enroll
4. The “My Courses” tab will list all enrolled courses
5. Select a course to begin!

Already registered for iSpring? Select the iSpring login link to access MN Adult Protection trainings. 

Questions? Please email DHS Adult Protection.

Minnesota Adult Protection Foundations eLearning Courses – These courses provide self-paced, on-demand training for adult protection professionals across Minnesota. Foundations eLearning courses address core competency training recommendations in the ACL Voluntary Consensus Guidelines for State APS Systems and align with Minnesota state adult protection policy. Minnesota Adult Protection Foundations eLearning courses include:

1. What is Adult Protection in Minnesota? 
2. Adult Protection Services Populations Served and Eligibility 
3. MAARC Functions and Duties 
4. Lead Investigative Agencies (LIA) and Jurisdictions for Maltreatment Response 
5. EPS Intake 
6. APS Intake MN APS SDM® Intake Assessment Training for Workers or MN APS SDM ® Intake Assessment for supervisors
7. Assessment Response 
8. APS Assessment 
9. APS Coordination and Data Sharing
10. Completing Protective Services and Case Closure
11. Engagement Strategies
12. Completing Final Disposition and Appeals

*Please note, the Adult Protection Foundations eLearning courses are prerequisites for the MN Adult Protection Foundations Live Training.

MN Adult Protection eLearning courses are accessed through iSpring, the MN Adult Protection learning management system (LMS). Please refer to the “MN Adult Protection Learning Management System (LMS)” section for links and directions to access courses.

Additional eLearning courses will be announced in the MN Adult Protection Newsletter as they become available. To sign up for the DHS Adult Protection newsletter, please email DHS Adult Protection.

MN Adult Protection training courses support equity and consistency in service response and outcomes that safeguard and promote dignity for adults who are vulnerable, regardless of their location in Minnesota. The courses also support APS professionals meeting education requirements under 626.557 Subd. 9e (8 hours annual training specific to adult protection duties).

Questions? Please email DHS Adult Protection.

Minnesota Adult Protection Foundations Live Training – Minnesota Adult Protection Foundations Live Training* is a 3-hour interactive online training facilitated by Minnesota DHS Adult Protection Unit Staff. Foundations Live Training reviews case examples and practical scenarios in order to apply foundational statutory definitions and Minnesota state adult protection policy principles covered in the Foundations eLearning courses.

*Please note, the Adult Protection Foundations eLearning courses are prerequisites for the MN Adult Protection Foundations Live Training.

Scheduled dates, times, and sign-up information for MN Adult Protection Foundations Live Training courses are posted in the Adult Protection Newsletter.

Dates and times for 2025 Minnesota Adult Protection Foundations: Live Training sessions will be posted in the monthly newsletter. To sign up for the DHS Adult Protection newsletter, please email DHS Adult Protection.

Questions? Please email DHS Adult Protection.

APS Technical Assistance and Resource Center (TARC) - APS TARC provides a variety of free educational opportunities for adult protection professionals including podcasts, webinars, briefs, and toolkits that align with APS Core Competencies in national standards. APS TARC offerings address a wide variety of topics including ethics, frauds and scams, interviews with experts, implicit bias, trauma informed practice and more.

Keep up to date with APS-TARC offerings by joining their mailing list, and check out the APS TARC YouTube channel for additional content.

APS TARC educational opportunities can support adult protection professionals meeting education requirements under 626.557 Subd.9e (8 hours annual training specific to adult protection duties).

The DHS Adult Protection Newsletter is meant to share knowledge specific to adult protection work in Minnesota, answer common questions regarding adult protection work in Minnesota, and provide awareness of DHS Adult Protection training opportunities. Questions related to the newsletter? Please email DHS Adult Protection or call 651-431-2609.

• DHS Adult Protection Newsletter (May 21, 2025)
• DHS Adult Protection Newsletter (April 15, 2025)
• DHS Adult Protection Newsletter (March 14, 2025)
• DHS Adult Protection Newsletter (Feb. 13, 2025)
• DHS Adult Protection Newsletter (Jan. 23, 2025)
• DHS Adult Protection Newsletter (Dec. 17, 2024)
• DHS Adult Protection Newsletter (Nov. 15, 2024)
• DHS Adult Protection Newsletter (Oct. 16, 2024)
• DHS Adult Protection Newsletter (Aug. 13, 2024)
• DHS Adult Protection Newsletter (June 11, 2024)

Public awareness materials are available via eDocs. eDocs is a document repository that contains forms and documents in multiple languages. The searchable document library (eDocs) allows clients, county and tribal workers, providers, employees and other stakeholders to easily access current versions of documents. A search for "Adult Protection" will yield numerous documents, including the MN Adult Abuse Reporting Center brochure, which is available in English, Hmong, Karen, Lao, Somali, Spanish, Pashto, and Vietnamese. 

Adult Protection PSA videos to encourage reporting of suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of vulnerable adults are available online. View all PSA versions on the Minnesota Adult Protection YouTube page.

APS public awareness toolkit provides downloadable content for multiple platforms to promote safety and well-being for adults who may be vulnerable or maltreated. The toolkit includes: flyers to print or email, poster, videos to post to social media channels, social media posts, and website content. All of these materials are free and available to use.

Adult protective services (APS) is an essential human service program administered by counties and tribes responsible for service response in appropriate cases for vulnerable adults who are reported to the Minnesota Adult Abuse Reporting Center (MAARC). APS is also responsible for investigation of the reported allegation when the person or agency alleged responsible is not licensed by DHS or the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). DHS provides training and offers policy guidance and consultation to APS.

Minnesota law requires local social service agencies to make decisions regarding protective services and investigation in response to reports of suspected maltreatment of a vulnerable adult. Counties use a suite of standardized tools when making decisions regarding protective services and investigation. Policy and procedure for county staff are found in the Minnesota Adult Protection Policy and Procedure Manual and the Minnesota Adult Protection Structured Decision Making® and Standardized Tools Guidelines and Procedures Manual.

The Minnesota Association of County Social Service Administrators (MACSSA) and DHS partnership workgroup developed intake screening guidelines for county adult protection agencies as part of the partnership's goals for agreement on APS's role when there is a case manager. APS will accept referred adults for further assessment in the following cases:

• Meet screening guidelines as vulnerable and potentially abused, financially exploited or neglected by a caregiver and have a case manager contracted with the agency.
• Meet guidelines as vulnerable and potentially self-neglecting. If a person has a case manager contracted with the agency they can be referred to the case manager if APS decides the case manager can address the health and safety of the adult during the intake process.
• Meet guidelines as vulnerable and potentially maltreated, whether or not the adult is temporarily safe because of short-term licensed services such as a hospital, transitional care unit or home care.

Each APS agency establishes service prioritization guidelines based on their resources and expertise. This means APS agencies may not accept adults meeting criteria as vulnerable and potentially being maltreated for APS assessment.

The Minnesota Adult Abuse Reporting Center (MAARC) is the state centralized system for reporting suspected maltreatment of a vulnerable adult. MAARC is operated by DHS. MAARC is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for mandated reporters and the public. MAARC makes timely referrals to the agencies responsible to respond for protective services and investigation.

Mandated reporters are professionals, or professional's delegate, who are required under the state’s Vulnerable Adult Act to make an immediate report to MAARC if they suspect a vulnerable adult has been abused, neglected or financial exploited.

Phone reports can be made by calling the MAARC statewide toll-free number at 1-844-880-1574. Mandated reporters can meet their reporting duty by making a web report. Mandated reporters may refer to the MAARC Mandated Reporter Guide for information on using the web-based reporting system.

The MAARC online reporting system may occasionally be unavailable when system maintenance is being conducted.

Email MAARC feedback to DHS Adult Protection.

Emergency: Call 911 before making a MAARC report if emergency response is needed from police, fire or medical personnel. MAARC is NOT a replacement for 911. 

Out of state maltreatment: Maltreatment that occurred in another state, and is not suspected to be occurring in Minnesota, must be reported to the state in which the maltreatment occurred. The National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA) has an APS map available online with information on reporting suspected abuse nationwide.

Mandated reporters are identified under Minnesota Statutes 626.5572.16 and are required to report suspected maltreatment of a vulnerable adult immediately to the Minnesota Adult Abuse Reporting Center (MAARC). DHS offers Online Mandated Reporter Training on the state’s Vulnerable Adult Act, including who is a vulnerable adult, the definitions of maltreatment, and the reporting duties of mandated reporters. It is also available to any interested person.

Minnesota Adult Abuse Reporting Center (MAARC) is not able to discuss any reports previously made to MAARC. Questions about completed reports must be referred to the civil lead investigative agency responsible for response. The agency is determined based on the allegation. 

• Allegations involving hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living and home care agencies are referred to the Minnesota Department of Health, Office of Health Facility Complaints (OHFC) via phone (651-201-4201) or by emailing OHFC.
• Allegations involving adult foster care, group homes or services licensed by DHS are referred to DHS Licensing Division via phone (651-431-6600) or by emailing DHS Licensing Division.
• Allegations of self-neglect by a vulnerable adult, or involving non-licensed facilities or services, are referred to county social services in the county where the vulnerable adult is currently located.

The Law Enforcement Agencies and Minnesota Adult Abuse Reporting Center (MAARC) Notification and the MAARC Law Enforcement Data Interchange (LEDI) FAQ are available online.

The Social Services Information System (SSIS) is the statewide electronic records system used by APS. PartnerLink, the Minnesota Department of Human Services’ (DHS) website for county and tribal agencies, has information regarding SSIS Adult Protection training and SSIS Essentials eLearning training courses. PartnerLink materials include prerequisites, registration information, SSIS Adult Protection training class schedule and training resources.