MINNESOTA

Grant Information


Name of Grantee
Department of Human Services
Continuing Care for Persons with Disabilities
Title of Grant
Pathways to Choice: Minnesota's System Change Initiative Grant
Type of Grant
Real Choice Systems Change
Amount of Grant
$2,300,000
Year Original Funding Received
2001

Contact Information


Karen Langenfeld, Project Team Leader
651–582–1941
karen.langenfeld@state.mn.us
Lesli Kerkhoff, Project Consultant
651–634–2281
lesli.kerkhoff@state.mn.us
444 Lafayette Road
Saint Paul, MN 55155–3872

Subcontractor(s)

Options Interstate Resource Center for Independent Living
Judy Moen, Project Coordinator
318 Third Street NW
East Grand Forks, MN 56721
218–773–6100 v/tty
218–773–7119 fax
options@rrv.net

Target Population(s)


People with disabilities and chronic illnesses of all ages who are underserved such as people from communities of color, people who are low income, people with severe disabilities, and people from tribal nations.

Goals


  • Develop a model for consumer–designed and driven quality assurance and improvement functions to be implemented within the long–term care delivery system in Minnesota.
  • Assure that consumers have access to timely, consistent, accurate information that supports self–determination and informed choices.
  • Consumer–driven quality assurance and improvement functions will be integrated into every aspect of the project to assure that frequent and accurate customer feedback and information are obtained and used effectively to correct or prevent problems as they are identified, and that quality improvement is assured.

Activities


  • Recruit and convene a 15–member quality design commission comprising 51 percent primary consumers.
  • Develop a model for consumer–driven quality assurance and quality improvement.
  • Develop a model for information, referral, and assistance (IR&A) and create three regional IR&A networks to provide service to target populations.
  • Develop training materials to be used for and with the IR&A networks.
  • Develop an automated consumer feedback system to evaluate and measure consumer satisfaction with the service delivery system and consumer quality of life outcomes.

Abstract


Minnesota intends to create an exemplary delivery system of services for people of all ages with disabilities or long–term illnesses. The state has a comprehensive set of traditional, prescriptive services, and in recent years has built a partial patchwork of consumer–centered service options. To transform Minnesota's services array into a replication model for other states, a fundamental change in thinking is needed. Minnesota proposes a strategy that uses new sources of leadership, new forms of service organizations, and new methods of training to instill a consumer–centered philosophy throughout the system network. The strategy includes:

Quality assurance and improvement. The state will create a quality assurance and improvement model that is consumer designed, directed, and evaluated. A consumer quality commission will be an ongoing element and will provide continual design, direction, and evaluation of the other project strategies. This quality commission will be used to provide direction for many of DHS' quality assurance ideas.

Information, referral, and assistance. The state will develop a central information system with accurate and consistent information with outreach tailored to underserved populations. Features include updating the state's web site so that consumers, advocates, providers, and agencies receive the same information in a useful, easily understood manner; organizing county–level information networks with localized, detailed information and assistance; and initiating a 1–800 number system that ties together state and local information and connects people needing additional help with advocates and providers.

Since the grants have been awarded, DHS is moving forward with implementing a 211 system. The grants will be used to support this system. The grants will also be used to initiate some local networks to provide more intensive one–on–one assistance and advocacy efforts—in partnerships with counties, consumers, and private/public strategies.

 

 

 

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