HF 772

as introduced - 88th Legislature (2013 - 2014) Posted on 02/22/2013 01:35pm

A bill for an act
relating to employment; appropriating money for employment support services
for persons with mental illness; amending Minnesota Statutes 2012, sections
245.4712, subdivision 1; 268A.13; 268A.14, subdivision 1.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 245.4712, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Availability of community support services.

(a) County boards
must provide or contract for sufficient community support services within the county to
meet the needs of adults with serious and persistent mental illness who are residents of the
county. Adults may be required to pay a fee according to section 245.481. The community
support services program must be designed to improve the ability of adults with serious
and persistent mental illness to:

(1) deleted text begin work in a regular or supported work environment deleted text end new text begin find and maintain competitive
employment new text end ;

(2) handle basic activities of daily living;

(3) participate in leisure time activities;

(4) set goals and plans; and

(5) obtain and maintain appropriate living arrangements.

The community support services program must also be designed to reduce the
need for and use of more intensive, costly, or restrictive placements both in number of
admissions and length of stay.

(b) Community support services are those services that are supportive in nature and
not necessarily treatment oriented, and include:

(1) conducting outreach activities such as home visits, health and wellness checks,
and problem solving;

(2) connecting people to resources to meet their basic needs;

(3) finding, securing, and supporting people in their housing;

(4) attaining and maintaining health insurance benefits;

(5) assisting with job applications, finding and maintaining employment, and
securing a stable financial situation;

(6) fostering social support, including support groups, mentoring, peer support, and
other efforts to prevent isolation and promote recovery; and

(7) educating about mental illness, treatment, and recovery.

(c) Community support services shall use all available funding streams. The county
shall maintain the level of expenditures for this program, as required under section
245.4835. County boards must continue to provide funds for those services not covered
by other funding streams and to maintain an infrastructure to carry out these services. new text begin The
county is encouraged to fund evidence-based practices such as Individual Placement and
Support Supported Employment and Illness Management and Recovery.
new text end

(d) The commissioner shall collect data on community support services programs,
including, but not limited to, demographic information such as age, sex, race, the number
of people served, and information related to housing, employment, hospitalization,
symptoms, and satisfaction with services.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 268A.13, is amended to read:

268A.13 EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT SERVICES FOR PERSONS WITH
MENTAL ILLNESS.

The commissioner of employment and economic development, in cooperation
with the commissioner of human services, shall develop a statewide program of grants
as outlined in section 268A.14 to provide services for persons with mental illness new text begin who
want to work new text end in supported employment. Projects funded under this section must: (1)
assist persons with mental illness in obtaining and retaining new text begin competitive new text end employment; (2)
emphasize individual deleted text begin community placements for clients deleted text end new text begin client preferences new text end ; (3) ensure
interagency collaboration at the local level between vocational rehabilitation field offices,
county service agencies, community support programs operating under the authority of
section 245.4712, and community rehabilitation providers, in assisting clients; new text begin (4) ensure
services are integrated with mental health treatment; (5) provide benefits counseling;
(6) conduct rapid job search; new text end and deleted text begin (4) deleted text end new text begin (7) new text end involve clients in the planning, development,
oversight, and delivery of support services. Project funds may not be used to provide
services in segregated settings such as the center-based employment subprograms as
defined in section 268A.01.

The commissioner of employment and economic development, in consultation
with the commissioner of human services, shall develop a request for proposals which is
consistent with the requirements of this section and section 268A.14 and which specifies
the types of services that must be provided by grantees. Priority for funding shall be given
to organizations deleted text begin with experience in developing innovative employment support services
for persons with mental illness deleted text end new text begin carrying out evidence-based practices new text end . Each applicant for
funds under this section shall submit an evaluation protocol as part of the grant application.

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 268A.14, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Employment support services and programs.

The commissioner
of employment and economic development, in cooperation with the commissioner of
human services, shall operate a statewide system to reimburse providers for employment
support services for persons with mental illness. The system shall be operated to support
employment programs and services where:

(1) services provided are readily accessible to all persons with mental illness new text begin who
want to work, including rapid competitive job search, new text end so they can make progress toward
economic self-sufficiency;

(2) services provided are made an integral part of all new text begin mental health new text end treatment and
rehabilitation programs for persons with mental illness to ensure that they have the ability
and opportunity to consider a variety of work options;

(3) programs help persons with mental illness form long-range plans for employment
that fit their skills and abilities by ensuring that ongoing new text begin time-unlimited new text end support, crisis
management, placement, and career planning services are available;

(4) services provided give persons with mental illness the information needed
to make informed choices about employment expectations and options, including
information on the types of employment available in the local community, the types of
employment services available, the impact of employment on eligibility for governmental
benefits, and career options;

(5) programs assess whether persons with mental illness being serviced are satisfied
with the services and outcomes. Satisfaction assessments shall address at least whether
persons like their jobs, whether quality of life is improved, whether potential for
advancement exists, and whether there are adequate support services in place;

(6) programs encourage persons with mental illness being served to be involved in
employment support services issues by allowing them to participate in the development of
individual rehabilitation plans and to serve on boards, committees, task forces, and review
bodies that shape employment services policies and that award grants, and by encouraging
and helping them to establish and participate in self-help and consumer advocacy groups;

(7) programs encourage employers to expand employment opportunities for
persons with mental illness and, to maximize the hiring of persons with mental illness,
educate employers about the needs and abilities of persons with mental illness and the
requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act;

(8) programs encourage persons with mental illness, vocational rehabilitation
professionals, and mental health professionals to learn more about current work incentive
provisions in governmental benefits programs;

(9) programs establish and maintain linkages with a wide range of other programs
and services, including educational programs, housing programs, economic assistance
services, community support services, and clinical services to ensure that persons with
mental illness can obtain and maintain employment;

(10) programs participate in ongoing training across agencies and service delivery
systems so that providers in human services systems understand their respective roles,
rules, and responsibilities and understand the options that exist for providing employment
and community support services to persons with mental illness; and

(11) programs work with local communities to expand system capacity to provide
access to employment services to all persons with mental illness who want them.

Sec. 4. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin $2,555,000 in fiscal year 2014 and $2,555,000 in fiscal year 2015 are appropriated
from the general fund to the commissioner of employment and economic development
for grants to programs that provide employment support services to persons with mental
illness under Minnesota Statutes, sections 268A.13 and 268A.14. At least 50 percent of
the funding must be used for projects that use the evidence-based practice of Individual
Placement and Supports. Grants may be used for special projects for young people with
mental illness transitioning from school to work or experiencing a first psychotic episode.
new text end