Minnesota's Department of Human Services (DHS) licenses certain Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) provided to people with disabilities and those over age 65. Most of the services are funded under one of Minnesota’s Medicaid waiver programs.

Under Minnesota Statutes, chapter 245D, are part of larger HCBS initiatives to improve the dignity, health, and independence of the people we serve. These services are intended to promote training, habilitation or rehabilitation of the person. Here are the key areas of services:

Positive support services: Services to increase positive behavior and decrease or eliminate severe, challenging behavior.
 

Specialist services: Services designed to promote staff and caregiver competency to meet a person’s needs in eligible areas.

Crisis respite: Short-term care and intervention strategies provided to a person due to the need for caregiver relief, protection of the person or others living with the person or the person’s need for behavioral or medical intervention.

Independent living skills training: Services that develop, maintain and improve the community-living skills of a person.

Semi-independent living skills: Services needed by an adult with a developmental disability or related condition(s) to live successfully in the community.

Residential-based habilitation (including in-home family support and supported living services for adults in their own home): Supported living services provided in a licensed site, including a foster care home, a community residential setting or a supervised living facility.

Foster care services: Adult and child foster care waiver services provided to people who live in a home licensed as foster care. Foster care services are individualized and based on the needs of the person.
 

ICF/DD: Residential facility licensed as a health care institution and certified by the Minnesota Department of Health to provide health or rehabilitative services for persons with developmental disability or a related condition who require active treatment.

Day training and habilitation: Services that develop and maintain life skills for people with developmental disabilities or related conditions so they can fully participate in community life.

Pre-vocational: Services that prepare people with disabilities for jobs with competitive pay and help them achieve greater independence in their community. Prevocational services teach general work skills and concepts rather than specific work skills for a particular job.

Structured day: Service designed for people who may benefit from continued rehabilitation and community integration directed at the development and maintenance of community living skills.

Supported employment: Effective July 1, 2018, supported employment services began the transition to the new disability waiver employment services.

Employment exploration services: Services that help a person gain a better understanding of competitive, integrated employment opportunities in his/her community. Exploration activities and experiences strengthen a person’s knowledge, interests and preferences so he/she can make informed decisions about competitive employment.

Employment development services: Individualized services designed to help a person achieve competitive, integrated employment, become self-employed or establish a microenterprise business in his/her community.
Employment support services: Individualized services and supports that help people maintain paid employment in community businesses/settings. Employment support services occur in integrated community settings.