HCBS Training
Overview of HCBS Modules
Welcome to the Minnesota Department of Human Services HCBS Modules for Person-Centered Organizations.
Purpose of Training: This online training can help providers of Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) become more person-centered while meeting HCBS regulations. Learn more about Minnesota's Waiver and Alternative Care programs .
Who Should Complete the Modules: Anyone interested in becoming more person-centered will benefit from completing the modules. The only way to improve services is to involve everyone in the change process.
The modules are for anyone working in or receiving HCBS who want to improve quality of life outcomes for people. Each module walks through the steps for moving forward with tools and resources to guide organizations as they complete each step involved in becoming a more person-centered organization. Watch the Overview of HCBS Person-centered and Positive Support Practices Modules video to learn more about the modules and tools.
The eight modules in this training are:
This module provides an overview for improving person-centered outcomes in HCBS. Major terms are introduced and details about the training are described. The goal is not to teach how to master one particular practice. Instead, the training helps providers identify what changes are needed for each unique service setting and to make sure new practices result in positive outcomes for people.
This module describes how to create a team of people who will work to improve services. There are many different types of HCBS which means that teams will look different across providers. This module helps you consider the number and types of people who might be part of a team for improving person-centered services.
The team assesses how ready the staff and people supported are in working together to improve HCBS. Everyone is involved in improving outcomes for HCBS. For this reason, it is important to make sure that people are ready to move forward together.
Each HCBS provider is unique. A completed assessment will reflect the strengths of existing services as well as what can be done to improve outcomes for people. Different approaches are used to support people based on the types of services provided, the age of people receiving services, and other factors. This module will help your team find the most important person-centered changes that can be used to improve quality of life outcomes for people receiving HCBS.
Once the assessment is complete, teams will choose a simple set of actions that can be completed by working smarter not harder, and by considering the work that is already being done within the organization. The action plan that is developed helps the team stay focused on goals that were identified in the assessment.
Successful teams include new person-centered ideas in the meetings, work routines, and trainings that already occur within HCBS. This module will share how teams have been able to work smarter not harder to ensure that the changes that are made as a part of this process are maintained over time.
Providers are already expected to report on a number of HCBS outcomes related to people receiving services. The goal of this module is to help teams consider what data are already being collected, brainstorm new measures to be added, and use this information to guide the team’s progress.
Every provider experiences unique challenges while providing HCBS. These challenges make it harder to improve person-centered outcomes. This module will describe how staff attrition, lack of resources, and other common barriers can be addressed in order to improve outcomes for people receiving services.
Note for Users: This training is written for a wide variety of providers who support people receiving many different types of services. General terms are used in order to address this diversity. The concepts presented in these modules can be adapted to each unique service. Multiple stories are included throughout the modules to provide examples representing different services and diverse people receiving HCBS across the lifespan.
The term provider is used to refer to one or more people who are responsible for coordinating and managing HCBS. The term organization is a similar concept that describes the way in which providers have created the systems, policies, processes, and structures for providing HCBS. Finally, a team refers to two or more people working together to gather feedback, share information, and coordinate changes that will improve person-centered outcomes.
These modules follow the guidelines of the seventh edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association by using the singular "they" as a third-person pronoun in order to avoid gender bias (instead of using third-person pronouns "he" or "she").