Stakeholder engagement

We are gathering information and input from stakeholders through regular engagements offered through the Professional Input Panel for Employment (PIPEin) and the Virtual Insight Panel (VIP). The Interagency Employment First Advisory Committee, composed of representatives from different stakeholder groups, is also providing important input and strategic advice at regular meetings that will help shape the MOU planning process.

September 2021

• PIPEin engagement 11: Summary report: VRS/SSB waiver liaison role (PDF). We sent an invitation to 177 PIPEin members, and a total of 32 individuals
  participated. Most respondents said that they either have a solid working relationship with VRS/SSB staff or communicate with them periodically, and most agreed that they are likely to reach out to a VRS/SSB waiver liaison.

February 2021

• PIPEin engagement 8: Planning and Coordinating Employment Services: Referral from Waiver to VRS/SSB for Job Search Services. We sent a survey to 227 PIPEin members to gather input on a document explaining the referral process for a person transitioning from waivers to VRS/SSB for job search services. Sixty-nine individuals participated in the survey, providing feedback on how clear or unclear each section of the document was, and what could be made clearer in the document. Respondents also provided input on how the referral process described in the document compares to the processes they carry out in their work, and how the referral process could be improved. Feedback is being used to revise and clarify the document and guide the development of materials and trainings on referral.

January 2021

• PIPEin engagement 7: Explore, Plan, Find, Keep. We sent a survey to 263 PIPEin members to gather input on a new framework for waiver employment supports. Ninety-nine individuals participated in the survey, providing feedback on how helpful they found the visual representations of the framework and the clarity of the descriptions of the supports provided in each phase of the framework. Feedback is being used to further refine and clarify each section of the framework for both adults and students enrolled in high school or transition programming. Specific examples under each section were noted as a big need and is an area that will be developed for further clarity.

December 2020

• PIPEin engagement 6: Roles and responsibilities. We sent a survey to 249 PIPEin members involved in supporting people's employment paths and goals to gather input on how they describe the responsibilities of their respective roles. One hundred and twenty-one individuals participated in the survey, providing insight into what responsibilities are definitely, maybe, or definitely not part of their roles, and what additional work they do in their roles. Feedback was used to confirm content and move forward with producing a roles and responsibilities resource. Based on feedback, we reprioritized the ordering of future PIPEin activities.
• Feedback from the Interagency Employment First Advisory Committee was used to further refine and plan the implementation of an "explore, plan, find, keep" framework from HCBS waiver employment services.

November 2020

• PIPEin engagement 5: Service provider dual enrollment. We sent a survey to 248 PIPEin members to gather input on the most important types of information to communicate to service providers about dual enrollment. One hundred and one individuals participated in the survey, providing input on topics including leading motivating factors and barriers to becoming dually enrolled.
• Advisory committee meeting: The fourth Interagency Employment First Advisory Committee meeting introduced the committee to a pivot in strategy to align waiver employment services, began setting the stage for launch of MOU agreements, and gathered feedback from the committee on the collection of professional tools DHS and DEED are developing in preparation for MOU launch. This was the last advisory committee meeting for 2020.

October 2020

• VIP engagement 4: New online tool. We sent a survey to 273 Virtual Insight Panel (VIP) members about the utility of an online tool. Fifty-two individuals participated in the survey, and 60 percent of respondents stated that they are currently receiving waiver services.
• MN APSE State Conference: We presented at the MN APSE 2020 State Conference, addressing interagency employment efforts and employment service provider alignment efforts.

September 2020

• PIPEin engagement 3: Supported employment PBA milestone structure. We sent a survey to 47 PIPEin members identifying as employment service providers to gather feedback on the performance-based agreement (PBA) milestone structure, the payment structure used by DEED-VRS to pay for job search services. We received responses from 37 members.
• Advisory committee meeting: The third Interagency Employment First Advisory Committee used breakout sessions to get feedback on two key areas of our work: increasing alignment in employment service provider networks between waiver and VRS/SSB services, and addressing communication strategies and needs.

August 2020

• PIPEin engagement 2: Online tool focus groups. We held a virtual focus group with 29 PIPEin members about an online tool. Participants represented three different roles: waiver case managers and lead agency staff, VRS/SSB staff and employment service providers.

July 2020

• PIPEin engagement 1: Redefined exploration services survey. We contacted 227 PIPEin members and received survey responses from 127 on the redefined exploration service and a document describing it.
• Advisory Committee meeting: The July Interagency Employment First Advisory Committee meeting focused on proposed changes to the exploration service and using the PIPEin feedback.
• E1MN: Developed a unified brand between DHS, DEED and the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) to help us speak in one voice regarding our employment efforts. This brand is E1MN: A State-Agency Partnership Advancing Employment First