Minnesota’s Olmstead Plan was approved in 2015 and has since been updated annually. The Olmstead Subcabinet recently decided it was time for a more comprehensive update of the Olmstead Plan.
The process of creating a new Olmstead Plan will center on co-creation with the disability community.
The Olmstead Implementation Office is working with the Dendros Group to support consultants with lived experience of disability. Lived experience of disability includes people with disabilities, family, and friends.
Dendros will select, train, and support 17 to 23 individuals to work as Inclusion Consultants. These consultants will work closely with state agency staff to create the next Olmstead Plan. This is a paid opportunity.
The application is open through February 24.
Dendros Group will also be hosting community conversations. These conversations are an opportunity to provide input for the next Plan. They will be held both in-person and virtually.
To attend a community conversation, subscribe to the OIO newsletter.
In June 2024, the Olmstead Implementation Office (OIO) hosted the Disability Inclusion and Choice survey. The survey was intended for people with disabilities and was open to all Minnesotans. It asked questions about how the next Olmstead Plan can improve the integration, choice, and inclusion of people with disabilities. Survey responses will help shape the next Olmstead Plan.
In May 2024, OIO contracted with ACET, Inc. to conduct small community conversations about inclusion, integration, and choice to inform the next Plan. ACET worked with community partners to host these conversations with people with disabilities, families, and other support persons. OIO also hosted a conversation with the Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities.
OIO contracted with The Improve Group to survey Minnesotans with disabilities who have received services in segregated settings. The survey focused on their quality of life. The survey findings will help inform the next Olmstead Plan.
The Minnesota Department of Human Services will contract with a vendor to support Policy Consultants. The Policy Consultants will provide data and information related to the next Olmstead Plan. They will serve as a resource for Integration Consultants and state staff as they co-create the next Plan. The RFP for a vendor was put out in November 2024.