Waiver Reimagine is a project that aims to improve and simplify services for people in Minnesota who use the disability waivers. For more information on Waiver Reimagine basics, go to:
Stakeholder input has and will inform Waiver Reimagine’s goals and the project’s course. The following is a summary of the first Waiver Reimagine feedback event in August, but it also will serve as a topic brief. It will be the first in a series of briefs that will explore key Waiver Reimagine improvements.
This page:
During the first Waiver Reimagine feedback events in August, we asked people, their families, advocates, providers and lead agencies for their thoughts on the suggested simplified service menu and related improvements. Participants shared that they are ready to learn more details about the simplified service menu, including:
As a result, the Department of Human Services (DHS) plans to develop resources (including training for service providers and lead agencies), case studies and additional materials for people and families.
DHS’ plans to simplify the service menu will make waiver programs easier to use and help people match the right services to their needs. We also are working on an online service-planning tool that will be a helpful resource to learn about available services and supports.
We based these changes on feedback provided in 2018 by people, their families, caregivers, providers, counties and tribal nations about the current service menu. They said it was difficult to understand and that it limited options. In response to the feedback, we have worked to combine similar services across waivers and create more service options.
In the new system, twelve of the current services will be simplified into six new service categories. The services will offer the same level of support, even though the names are changing. People who use waivers will have access to these services regardless of which waiver they use. These changes will make it easier to:
Table 1- Simplified service menu
Existing service(s) |
Simplified service |
|
Corporate foster care
|
Community residential services |
|
Family foster care
|
Family residential services |
|
Personal support
|
Individualized home supports (without training) |
|
Independent living skills (training)
|
Individualized home support with training |
|
In-home family supports |
Individualized home supports (with family training) |
|
Day training and habilitation
|
Day support services |
Table 2- New service or service model
Service |
Change |
|
Integrated community supports |
New service |
|
Remote support |
Allows several services to be provided in person or remotely (using live, 2-way communication) |
We are also developing a secure, online resource people can use to access information about available services and supports. We plan to build the tool in two stages:
Participants say they are ready to learn more about the simplified service menu.
For the August 2020 feedback event, we gathered feedback about the simplified service menu and related improvements through a pre-event input form and interactive feedback events. To recruit participants, we posted information about the pre-event input form and events on the Waiver Reimagine webpage. We notified stakeholders through a DHS Disability Services Division eList announcement. DHS, along with our communication partner, The Improve Group, conducted direct outreach to those who had previously expressed interest in joining Waiver Reimagine feedback events.
The pre-event input form received 291 responses from Aug. 14-25, 2020. Seventy-eight percent of respondents were representatives of service providers, lead agencies and advocacy organizations, while 22 percent were people, their families and members of the public.
Respondents had the option to register for one of two feedback sessions on Aug. 31, 2020, designed for different audiences. Fifty representatives of providers and lead agencies were invited to attend an afternoon session intended for those audiences (participants were selected to ensure representation from all regions of Minnesota and to maximize the number of organizations that could take part). All people and families who registered were invited to attend an evening session tailored to people, their family members and advocates.
During each session, we briefly shared information about our goals to simplify the waiver service menu and other proposed improvements. Then, we asked participants to join small groups and provide feedback. The sessions covered the following:
Providers and lead agencies who shared feedback had a range of thoughts about the simplified service menu, but some overall themes emerged. They asked for:
There were some overall themes in the feedback that people, families and advocates provided around the simplified service menu and the online service-planning tool. Participants asked for:
Overall, people and family members shared that they would use a secure and easy-to-use online service-planning tool. They would like to access all their information through the tool, including budget, service and planning information. Participants also suggested specific features (including chat, email support and search functionality). Some participants raised concerns related to assistive technology and internet access.
In response to participant input, we will develop a variety of resources and tools for people, families, advocates, providers and lead agencies. The specific steps we plan to take include:
Continued feedback will influence how we carry out and communicate about Waiver Reimagine. We hope to include more participants so we can gather more input during future feedback events. To learn more about the project and the events to attend:
