Advocate

Read more on the Direct Support Professional Workforce Crisis that is affecting disability service organizations nationwide and across Minnesota:

ANCOR’s State of America’s Direct Support Workforce 2021 Report

Institute on Community Integration at the University of Minnesota’s direct support workforce webpage

In 2007, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services informed Minnesota that its four disability waivers were out of compliance with federal requirements for uniform rate distribution methods and standards. These include the Brain Injury (BI), Community Alternative Care (CAC), Community Access for Disability Inclusion (CADI) and Developmental Disabilities (DD) waivers. In January 2014, DHS established what is now known as the Disability Waivers Rate System.

MN Department of Human Services site on Disability Waivers Rate System

This rule addresses several sections of Medicaid law under which states may use federal Medicaid funds to pay for home and community-based services (HCBS). The rule supports enhanced quality in HCBS programs, adds protections for individuals receiving services, and reflects that individuals receiving supports through HCBS have full access to the benefits of community living and are able to receive services in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs.

Minnesota Statewide Transition Plan

The MN Department of Human Services released its Employment First Policy as part of its Olmstead Plan. Employment First has four core values: that employment is the first and preferred outcome for working-age people with disabilities; people with disabilities are competitively employed or self-employed; employees with disabilities earn at least minimum wage and benefits; employees with disabilities are fully integrated into the workplace and interact with co-workers, customers and the public. The plan includes additional sections on informed choice around employment including benefits of work, exploration and support, work experience and employer engagement, as well as state agency requirements and quality assurance.

MN Employment First Policy (adopted by the Olmstead Subcabinet on 9/29/14)

As a result of a U.S. Supreme Court decision, states were required to develop an Olmstead Plan that outlines how people with disabilities will have choices about where they live and are served in community settings suitable to their needs and desires. This involves developing plans for employment, housing, transportation, healthcare, etc., in the most integrated settings.

Olmstead Quick Guide

Minnesota’s Olmstead Plan Website

In 2014 Congress passed WIOA, designed to help job seekers access employment, education, training and support services to succeed in the labor market and to match employers with the skilled workers they need to compete in the global economy. It increases individuals with disabilities’ access to high quality workforce services and prepares them for competitive, integrated employment. It requires better employer engagement and promotes accessibility to employment and training services for people with disabilities. Youth with disabilities will receive extensive pre-employment transition services to obtain and retain competitive, integrated employment.

U.S. Department of Labor WIOA Resource Page

Section 14c of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) authorizes employers, after receiving a certificate from the Wage and Hour Division, to pay special minimum wages to workers who have disabilities. This is highly regulated by the U.S. Department of Labor; however, there are increasing pressures at the federal level and among advocacy groups to eliminate the practice. In February 2014, President Obama signed an executive order to raise the minimum wage for federal contract workers, including those with disabilities employed under new government contracts.

U.S. Department of Labor Fact Sheet

Every year during the legislative session, elected officials across Minnesota discuss, debate, and create laws. Some of these laws impact individuals with disabilities, disability service organizations like Opportunity Partners and other members of our community. Minnesota’s 2024 legislative session begins on Wednesday, January 3, and ends on Monday, May 20.

Our membership organizations ARRM and Best Life Alliance will advocate at the legislature for short-term and long-term measures to address the significant staffing shortages affecting disability service organizations across Minnesota: ARRM 2024 Legislative Agenda

Join our mailing list at the bottom of the page to stay informed about advocacy efforts and help take action!

The federal Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (W.I.O.A.) requires that organizations like Opportunity Partners provide information about self-advocacy, self-determination and peer mentoring training opportunities available in our geographical area. Here is a list for your reference. We have also posted this information in our handbook.

The Minnesota Families & Advocates Coalition (MNFAC) was formed in 2016 as a volunteer organization of parents and family members concerned with the rights of individuals with disabilities. Currently, some of MNFAC’s primary concerns are with the Disability Waiver Rate System and the Direct Support Professional (DSP) Workforce Crisis. MNFAC’s goals include statewide advocacy, awareness and advisement. Check out the MNFAC website for resources and upcoming events.