Transforming Providers
Since the spring of 2022, MTI has been supporting 8 Home and Community Based Service (HCBS) Providers in their work to end the use of sub-minimum wages and increase employment and community life engagement 
outcomes for supported individuals. From 2022 to 2024, MTI worked with eight providers (six in greater Minnesota and two in the Twin Cities Metro area) to develop plans for a sustainable business model that does not rely on sub-minimum wages; they expect to stay open and remain viable service providers in their communities. During the same period, MTI also supported 14 additional providers across the state to increase their capacity to provide employment services for Minnesotans with disabilities. Going forward, MTI provider technical assistance will focus on building capacity for competitive, integrated employment and community life engagement.
You can watch the videos of their success here.
In order to align current practices with the evolving values and desired outcomes of modern employment and day services, it may be necessary for provider organizations to engage in some activities of organizational transformation. This requires a purposeful and strategic alignment of an organization's mission and vision with the organization's infrastructure, operations, resources, and processes.
What does Technical Assistance look like for providers?
The TA team uses the research-based 10 Elements of Provider Transformation to identify the strengths of the organization and goals/areas of focus for transformation. The 10 elements outline the key action items that are part of a successful transformation plan, including:
- Identifying clear, consistent goals
- Forming an agency culture that supports inclusion
- Developing an active, person-centered job placement process to support people to find and maintain customized, integrated employment.
- Outlining a communication plan that details the messaging that will be shared with each stakeholder group
- Reallocating and restructuring resources (including buildings, vehicles, staffing) to build up new or existing services while phasing out others
- Training staff to provide new services or provide services in new ways
- Engaging with people with disabilities, their families, and the local business community
- Establishing performance measurement and quality assurance metrics to track progress and outcomes
- Integrating changes within other services areas of organization, when applicable
- Forming strong partnerships with local organizations, schools, and state agencies
MTI is offering two different styles of support for providers
Cohort Assistance
Intensive, comprehensive year-long technical assistance (TA) for HCBS employment and/or day providers at any stage of planning or implementing transformation and committed to organizational change; cohort TA includes:
- Designated two-person TA team from MTI
- Consulting, training and workshops, and connection to resources (including peer mentorship program and LifeCourse Connect tools for self-advocates and families)
- In-person site visit(s) from TA team
- Individualized TA plan
- Monthly TA calls with TA team to check-in, share updates, discuss roadblocks, and talk through next steps
- Monthly community of practice calls with other providers in cohort
- Connections to mentorship opportunities from other providers
- Access to 8 month virtual Management and Leadership course for mid-level managers or rising leaders
To apply: Providers must apply to participate in cohort TA. The application is currently open through August 9, 2024, and will open periodically as capacity allows. Sign up for the MTI newsletter to receive updates on cohort TA availability.
Targeted Assistance
Short-term technical assistance (TA) focused on a specific topic for any HCBS employment and/or day provider seeking support to expand capacity for competitive integrated employment and/or community life engagement; topics include:
- Assisting in developing a staffing structure with defined roles, job functions, skills and qualifications (e.g., certifications) that align with employment process
- Recommending training and staff development programs that increase KSA’s (knowledge, skills, and abilities)
- Embedding benefits planning within agency culture and processes
- Becoming a limited-use vendor with VRS
- Creating an internal and external communications plan about your organization’s transformation and/or capacity-building
- Identifying clear and consistent goals for transformation and/or capacity-building
- Initiating employment services (i.e., EES, EDS, ESS) and outlining an employment process using the E1MN framework
- Planning for the finances of transformation and/or capacity-building
- Engaging with businesses and local community
- Creating community-based day supports
- Identifying metrics, collecting, using data for performance measurement, quality assurance, and program oversight
- Relinquishing 14c certificate
- Building a powerful company culture that supports the transformation process
- Other topics as they make sense
Provider will work with designated MTI TA staff for limited time on identified TA goals
To request assistance: Providers can submit a form on the MTI website to request assistance. Targeted TA is available as capacity allows.