Employment Policy
Development and Coordination
Pathways to Employment works closely with the Minnesota Department of Human Services, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and the Minnesota State Council on Disability (MSCOD) to review issues, programs, and policies related to the competitive employment of people with disabilities.
Specifically, PTE facilitates dialogue and supports on-going policy work within the Department of Human Services' Disability Services Division. Key programs and issues are listed below.
MA-EPD: Developing and implementing policy for, and administering Minnesota's buy-in program, Medical Assistance for Employed Persons with Disabilities. MA-EPD is a work incentive designed to enable people with disabilities to work while maintaining their benefits. MA-EPD was authorized in 1999 through the Ticket To Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act, under which Minnesota's Medicaid Infra Structure Grant is funded. DHS/DSD staff partner with DHS Health Care Operations to implement eligibility and enrollment in MA-EPD. For more information visit MA-EPD at DHS (www.dhs.state.mn.us).
Stay Well Stay Working: Facilitating the Stay Well, Stay Working study and evaluation designed to help people with a mental health condition stay as healthy as possible by offering coordinated health care, employment assistance and peer support services. Stay Well, Stay Working is Minnesota’s Demonstration to Maintain Independence and Employment grant. Download the complete report on the Stay Well Stay Working website (staywellstayworking.com).
Rate Setting Methodologies: Implementing a new model of payment for day supports, including employment supports and other customized day services at DHS Continuing Care Administration. See more information about the Rate Setting Methodologies Initiative at DHS (www.dhs.state.mn.us).
MN CHOICES: Supporting the Comprehensive Assessment (formerly known as COMPASS) project that integrates employment throughout assessment programs that are being developed for people who use services like personal care assistance, home care and Medicaid waiver services.
Workplace Accessibility: Providing assistance the DHS Human Resources Division on accessibility issues related to state workers with disabilities.
PTE also supports MSCOD policy consultation regarding disability to state lawmakers and agencies. Projects include:
- Supporting Transportation Dialogues in local communities to foster local solutions to transportation barriers to employment of people with disabilities. View/download The Many Roads to Work (PDF), a presentation on the National Transportation Dialogue. View/download Greater Minnesota Transit 2008 Rural Conference, a presentation on the State Transportation Dialogue.
- Translating Know Your Rights publication into different languages.
- Enhancing and expanding the Minnesota State Fair Booth, arguably the largest single event for disseminating information about disability to the public. Through PTE support the booth has evolved into a more collaborative enterprise, bringing together the human services, education, economic development, disability-specific groups, legal rights, self advocates and others. It has become a more significant distribution point for information about competitive employment of people with disabilities.
- Developing emergency preparedness information for people with disabilities in the workplace and employers.
Documents Available for Download:
For More Information
For more information, visit MSCOD online.