Resources

Innovation Grants

The Disability Services Division at the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) is seeking proposals for the next round of its Innovation Grant Program. Innovation Grants are a possible source of funding for provider organizations that are seeking extra funds to support their transformation and improve employment outcomes.

Disability Hub Benefits Planning Toolkit

This toolkit provides information, resources, and tools to support benefits planning, including three levels of benefits planning training. For an overview of the resources available in the toolkit and strategies on how to incorporate benefits planning into the culture of an employment services provider, check out the MTI training recording from August 17, 2023, Embedding Benefits Planning into Agency Culture.

Disability Hub’s Benefits Planning Learning Community

It's important to incorporate benefits conversations and planning into your organization's culture. The Benefits Planning Learning Community is a network of professionals who are committed to supporting people with disabilities to understand and plan for what happens to their benefits when they go to work. Join the community to stay up-to-date on benefits planning developments and connect with colleagues doing similar work.

ES-Coach

ES-Coach is a tool that was developed to help employment service providers better implement best practices for employment supports. Every day, each day at a different random time, the team of job developers and job coaches receive a text on their phones with three quick questions about their primary employment support activities. It takes less than a minute to respond. Watch this 1 min video . The responses then populate a dashboard allowing the manager and their team members to visualize their service delivery for reflection, goal setting, and action planning. ES-Coach is currently available at no cost thanks to a Kessler Foundation grant.

Employment First Community of Practice Webinar Recording: Family Involvement in Provider Transformation

This webinar, presented in May 2024, discusses tools and resources available to help providers and families better understand the transformation process. It features the voices of family members who have worked with providers through transformation to competitive integrated employment. This webinar has excellent information for providers undertaking transformation.

Employer Reasonable Accommodation Fund

The Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Employer Reasonable Accommodation Fund (ERAF) creates a central fund where small to mid-sized Minnesota employers can request reimbursement for expenses related to providing reasonable accommodations for job applicants and employees with disabilities. The ERAF's purpose is to encourage employment of people with disabilities by reducing any perceived or real financial barriers. In addition to processing reimbursements, the ERAF Coordinator is available for technical assistance (TA) and consultation at no cost to employers.

The Role of Person-Centered Planning for Employment Support

This is a recording of a training hosted by DETAC in January. It provides an excellent foundation for strengthening the connection between person-centered planning and advancing competitive, integrated employment.

DHS Eliminates the Asset Limit for MA for Employed Persons with Disabilities

Did you know that as of January 1, 2024, the asset limit for people enrolled in and applying for Medical Assistance for Employed Persons with Disabilities (MA-EPD) has been eliminated? This is great news for people with disabilities who want to retain their supports while they work and build wealth. For more information, check out this bulletin from DHS.

Enriching Lives through Employment

This video highlights the partnerships that TSE, Inc. has forged with employers to help connect people with disabilities to competitive, integrated employment.

Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) Competitive, Integrated Employment Transformation Hub :

This new resource centralizes practical guidance, policy information, and evidence-based practices that can assist in advancing competitive, integrated employment for people with disabilities. This hub features resources for people with disabilities and their families, employment service providers, state agencies, and employers.

MN APSE Podcast

If You Can Believe It You Can Achieve It: MN APSE’s Chris Davies talks with self-advocates, policy-makers, providers and others involved in efforts in Minnesota to raise the bar of employment for people living with disabilities and mental health challenges. In the latest episode, Chris Davies is joined in the studio by Daniel Hood, not just as a guest, but also as a host. Daniel has an education in radio broadcasting and hosts his own podcast over at HoodWave Disability Radio - covering topics from policy to self-advocacy. After interviewing Daniel on his experience as a self-advocate, Chris sat back to answer questions Daniel had for him. Watch the episode on YouTube or listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts .

Q&A with the Job Accommodation Network’s (JAN) Sensory Team

The Job Accommodation Network’s (JAN) webinar “Ask JAN! Q&A: Sensory Team Edition” is available. Hear from JAN’s Sensory Team consultants as they discuss workplace accommodations and topics related to the Americans with Disabilities Act. The team fields questions related to sensory impairments, such as deafness, hearing aid use, blindness, low vision, and immunological and respiratory conditions, such as allergies and asthma. They also discuss accommodation topics, such as interpreting and captioning, digital accessibility, print and image access technology, indoor air quality, and more.

Institute for Community Inclusion’s Explore Community Life Engagement Toolkit

The Institute for Community Inclusion at Umass Boston (ICI) just launched Explore Community Life Engagement !, a hub for activities that enhance systems and services that support meaningful engagement of people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) in their communities. They offer learning courses, a comprehensive toolkit, and many other resources to help managers and direct support professionals to support people with disabilities. Visit the webpage and sign up to join the Explore Community Life Engagement mailing list to get updates and resources.

MN APSE Podcast: Sumukha Terakanambi

Sumukha Terakanambi is 25 years old and lives in Lakeville, Minnesota. He is a policy consultant with the Minnesota Council on Disability and the Rare Disease Advisory Council. He is also involved in disability advocacy and serves on the Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities and the Dakota County Disability Advisory Council. Watch on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Peer-to-Peer Mentor Newsletter

MTI’s peer-to-peer mentorship program is now publishing a monthly newsletter. This program aims to help people with disabilities and their support networks as they explore job options. The newsletter shares upcoming events and useful information about competitive, integrated employment. Please share this new resource with self-advocates and family members.

National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) Toolkit

This toolkit from the Office of Disability Employment Policy provides videos, posters, and ideas to observe NDEAM.

Life Experiences of Young Minnesotans with Disabilities: Qualitative Research Report

This qualitative research report from the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities focused on young Minnesotans (ages 13-22) to better understand their life experiences and the extent to which those with marginalized identities feel included in the One Minnesota promise of diversity, equity and inclusion. The results provide insights into the goals young Minnesotans have regarding employment and inclusion and the barriers they face.