Featured Stories

Expanding Professionalism in Direct Support

National advisers to the College of Direct Support (such as board member Carol Britton Laws, pictured) gathered in Miami last month to share ideas for reaching the growing number of family caregivers, direct support professionals (DSPs), and others supporting people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) through self-directed services.

Self-direction gives people receiving supports the decision-making authority and responsibility for employing people to provide the long-term services and supports that will help most in achieving the lives they want to live. They have the same duty to select, train, and retain their staff as any other employer. It is an alternative to traditional IDD services, for which provider agencies recruit, hire, and manage staff. Frequently, under self-direction, people with IDD hire close family members to provide some or all of their support services.

The College of Direct Support and the College of Frontline Supervision, Management, and Leadership provide accredited training and certification for professionals who support people with IDD, including DSPs, their supervisors, managers, and organizational leaders. The curricula are available through DirectCourse, an online learning management platform, in a longstanding partnership between Elsevier and the University of Minnesota’s Institute on Community Integration.

At the recent National Advisory Board meeting, participants discussed the intersecting training and development needs of caregivers who are being professionally trained to deliver services and those who are family or friends of people receiving support. They also discussed what states may need as they implement more self-directed services within their Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS) programs, said Barbara Kleist, co-director of DirectCourse.

Learn more about professionalism in direct support.

Moving Mountains: Life, Unlimited

The Institute on Community Integration, the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals, and ANCOR recently announced the organizations will present the 2025 Moving Mountains Award to Life Unlimited, Inc. during the ANCOR Connect ’25 conference on April 8 in San Diego, California.

Responding to high turnover rates among staff who support people with disabilities, particularly in the first 90 days of employment, the North Kansas City, Missouri-based service provider implemented tiered pay incentives tied to completion of training levels and developed a curriculum for staff training that is rooted in principles of self-determination, person-centered practices, and informed choice.

"Solutions to the direct support workforce challenges require action at many levels, and employers taking responsibility for professional skill development is a great way to increase staff retention," said ICI Director Amy Hewitt. "Life Unlimited, Inc. has made this commitment and achieved positive workforce outcomes, creating models that can be replicated by other employers."

The award will be presented during a pre-lunch plenary in the Pacific Jewel ballroom of the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina. The winners will present details about their initiatives in a morning breakout session on April 9.

"We’re very honored to have been selected from among all the organizations that applied," said Julie Edlund, chief executive officer of Life, Unlimited. "This award is a testament to our training team’s unwavering commitment to preparing a highly qualified workforce to support those we serve. Despite the challenges of the pandemic and staffing shortages, we maintained the integrity of our training programs, refusing to cut corners. We believe every staff member must be fully equipped to provide the highest quality possible—because the people we support deserve nothing less, and our team deserves the opportunity to excel."

Learn more about Life, Unlimited.

Social Media Spotlight

Recently featured on ICI's Facebook page

How can we bring more self-determination to self-direction? In the just-launched Impact issue, editors discuss how rising compliance requirements sometimes interfere with self-direction’s promise of more choice and control in selecting services. https://z.umn.edu/aaem

New Releases

NCEO Report 447: The Development of Common Terminology: Adding Accessibility Features to the Common Education Data Standards (CEDS)  

Authors: Travis Peterson, Sheryl Lazarus, Marianna K Quanbeck, Andrew R Hinkle, and Kristin K Liu

ICI's National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) collaborated with the Common Education Data Standards (CEDS) initiative to standardize accessibility feature terms for assessments. Historically, terminology varied, so NCEO and the CEDS initiative worked with state education agencies, test vendors, and assessment consortia to create common definitions. This effort aimed to improve communication and ensure equitable assessment opportunities for students, particularly for students with disabilities, English learners, and English learners with disabilities. Once finalized, the definitions were submitted to the CEDS initiative for inclusion in their data elements. This report presents the final list of standardized accessibility feature definitions. It is part of the NCEO Reports series.

RISP Data Byte: "Shift from State to Non-state Congregate IDD Settings, 1998 to 2020"  

Each issue of the Data Byte series highlights one data point from ICI's Residential Information Systems Project (RISP). Data Bytes are graphical summaries of one RISP research finding, published each month. The March 2025 Data Byte notes that in 1967, almost 200,000 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) lived in large state institutions. The Medicaid Home and Community-Based Waiver, which began in 1981, helps people with IDD live with family or in small community homes. This Data Byte shows the decrease in people living in large state and non-state institutions between 1998 and 2020. Currently, about 85,000 people live in institutions. States should reduce this number because research shows people in smaller homes are happier and have more control over their living situation.

Momentum: Spring 2025  

Editor: Mary A Hauff

Momentum is a quarterly newsletter of Minnesota Inclusive Higher Education Consortium (MIHEC) news, events, resources, and student profiles. This issue of Momentum  opens with Roman Schibel, an 18-year-old in a transition program who is considering college. The News section features short articles about guidance on vocational rehabilitation and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act for college-based transition programs, the University of Kansas' Transition to Postsecondary Education Initiative, MIHEC's college survey results, the upcoming request for proposals for Minnesota's inclusive higher education competitive grants and MIHEC's preparations for the release. The newsletter also contains upcoming events and resources.

Rethinking What Works: March 2025  

Editor: Danielle C Mahoehney

This monthly newsletter from ICI's Minnesota Transformation Initiative (MTI) shares upcoming trainings, featured resources, and stories from across the state about supporting people with disabilities in finding and keeping jobs. It supports MTI’s objective to build capacity for competitive, integrated employment in Minnesota. The newsletter provides information and resources for staff from day and employment providers, lead agencies, tribal nations, Vocational Rehabilitation Services, schools, and other agencies working to improve employment outcomes for Minnesotans with disabilities. The March 2025 issue of Rethinking What Works  spotlights leveraging assistive technology to support competitive integrated employment.

Job Match Makers  

Presenters: Brian C Begin and Sherry L Healey

The Job Match Makers podcast shares stories from employment consultants about supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to find employment in their communities—one person, one job at a time. This podcast is produced by the Minnesota Transformation Initiative, a technical assistance center focused on expanding capacity for competitive, integrated employment across Minnesota. Hosted by Brian Begin and Sherry Healey at the University of Minnesota, the Job Match Makers podcast is a partnership between the University of Minnesota's Institute on Community Integration and UMass Boston's Institute for Community Inclusion.

• Episode 7: A Job at a Thrift Store
• Episode 6: A Job Monitoring an Indoor Playground
• Episode 5: A Job Doing "Spec Checks" for a Furniture Company

Events and Announcements

Targeted, Individualized, and Intensive Positive Supports for People with IDD

March 18 and April 1
12–1 p.m. Central Time

Join us for the Targeted, Individualized, and Intensive Positive Supports for Children and Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Project ECHO® pilot series. This six-session series is designed for community providers, social workers, and related stakeholders who support children and adults with IDD who have complex or higher level behavioral needs and are supported through targeted, individualized, and intensive positive supports. Come ready to participate via video conferencing. Presented by ICI's TeleOutreach Center and the Minnesota Department of Human Services. Register for these free online sessions.

MIHEC Learning Community: "Ramp-Up to Readiness"

April 8
6–7:15 p.m. Central Time

Join Dr. Jennifer Kunze to learn how high schools use Ramp-Up to Readiness to prepare students in grades 6–12 for success in their postsecondary pathways. Educators, students, and families will learn how to support students in building academic, admissions, career, financial, and social-emotional readiness as they prepare to pursue a two- or four-year college, trade school, or apprenticeship. Kunze directs the University of Minnesota’s Ramp-Up to Readiness program, which ensures all students have equitable opportunities to achieve social and economic mobility through higher education by connecting classroom learning to real-life goals, fostering future planning, and helping students assess their progress. Presented by ICI’s Minnesota Inclusive Higher Education Consortium. Register.

Your Voice Matters: Help Shape the Future for Minnesotans with Developmental Disabilities

The Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities (MN GCDD) is on a mission to create a brighter future for Minnesotans with developmental disabilities—and the MN GCDD needs your help.

Your insights and experiences are invaluable. That’s why you’re invited to take part in the MN GCDD's Quality of Life Assessment Survey. The survey will include questions about different parts of your life, like being independent, productive, making your own choices, and feeling included in the community.

By sharing your thoughts in this important survey, you’ll help guide the efforts to improve the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities across Minnesota.

Thank you for being a champion for our community!

Interviewing People with IDD from Diverse Backgrounds for Community Living Study

Seeking individuals 18+ with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), their family members, and people without IDD from diverse backgrounds to interview. This research project explores what community living is like for adults from different backgrounds. This includes things like their gender, who they love, their race, ethnicity, culture, language, and where they live. Please email or call Dr. Renáta Tichá ( tich0018@umn.edu, 612-624-5776) with questions. Register for an interview at z.umn.edu/CLinterview.

Staff Updates

Jessica Simacek. On February 4–5, Simacek presented at the Department of Defense Child Collaboration Study convening event in Bethesda, Maryland. This event brings together partner sites and organizations supporting research, training, and implementation of evidence-based practices for military-connected children with mental, emotional, behavioral health, and developmental needs, and their families. Simacek also participated as a Fellow of the Institute of Education Sciences Advanced Training Institute Comprehensive Program for Adaptive Interventions Training in Education to develop and iterate study protocols for grant proposals using adaptive treatment study designs.

Kristin Liu and Jessica Bowman. On February 21–27, Liu (pictured at center in blue jacket and skirt),  Bowman (center in brown sweater), and ICI's TIES Center team welcomed a Malaysian delegation of three faculty members from Sultan Idris Education University and two staff members from the Southeast Asian Ministry of Education Organization for Special Education Needs. They came to establish a collaborative partnership for Liu and Bowman's 2024–25 Global Signature Grant project, which will be conducted in Malaysia in April. The project will address inclusive education for Malaysian students with disabilities. The delegation also came to develop relationships at ICI, the College of Education and Human Development, and the University of Minnesota for possible future work.

Andrea Castillo. On February 23, Castillo attended Fiesta de la Nieve (Party in the Snow), an event hosted by Dakota County Parks, to share resources with the Spanish-speaking community in the Twin Cities. She provided materials from Learn the Signs. Act Early., Help Me Grow, and the Project ECHO study to support early childhood development and family outreach. In January, she co-presented on culturally responsive autism assessments to Iowa behavioral health consultants at Primary Health Care, Inc.

Adele Dimian. On February 24–25, Dimian attended the MPS [Mucopolysaccharidoses] Consensus Meeting at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. She was invited to discuss supporting the behavioral needs of children with rare diseases.

Amy Hewitt, Barb Kleist, Susan O’Nell, Jerry Smith, Megan Sanders, Amanda Ryan, Jolene Thibedeau Boyd, Michelle Smith, Nicole Duchelle, Claire Benway, Mark Olson, Nik Fernholz, and Enengy Schutt. On February 25–28,  Hewitt (pictured), Kleist, O’Nell, Jerry Smith, Sanders, Ryan, Thibedeau Boyd, Michelle Smith, Duchelle,  Benway, Olson, Fernholz, and MNLEND fellow Schutt met with disability workforce experts and partner staff from Elsevier for the annual National Advisory Board Meeting for the College of Direct Support/College of Frontline Supervision and Management in Miami, Florida. CDS and CFSM are part of the DirectCourse suite of online training.

Update

Understanding Disability through a Data Lens

It’s before lunch, and Anna Bolgrien’s (MNLEND 2020–21) work for the day has already touched on mental health, HIV, and water quality. As a senior research scientist and project manager for the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Social Research and Data Innovation, Bolgrien relishes the breadth of data management projects on her plate.

"I’m not a specialist in any of those areas, but I know enough to be able to take the available data and make it easier to use in research. It’s fun getting to think about so many different topics on any given day," she said.

While she harmonizes Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) within the IPUMS Center for Data Integration, Bolgrien also uses the Center’s capabilities for her own demographic research projects. IPUMS merges global census and survey data in ways that make it easier for researchers to study change and compare research around the world. They help a broad range of scholars, particularly in the realm of women’s and children’s health.

Recently, she began collaborating with Tara Casebolt from Loyola University on a project using MICS to help better understand child labor patterns in developing countries and how they are affected by disability.

"We’re looking at the number of hours children are doing work and household chores, and how that varies if they have a parent with a disability," she said. "We're trying to explore a question around whether children are doing more labor force work to offset the financial constraints a household might be facing or are they stepping in and doing more unpaid household labor?"

Bolgrien, who began her current role in 2021 after completing a doctorate degree from the University’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs, hopes to assist more disability-related research projects in the future. Her MNLEND fellowship experience and her personal experiences as the sister of someone who lives with Down syndrome keep her curious about exploring more disability-related research.

Learn more about Bolgrien.