The Administration for Community Living (ACL) has posted for public comment Proposed Regulations for Adult Protective Services Programs. The proposed rule aims to improve consistency and quality of APS services across states and support the national network that delivers APS services, with the ultimate goal of better meeting the needs of adults who experience, or are at risk of, maltreatment. ACL also created a fact sheet with highlights of key provisions of the rule.
DHS will be analyzing and providing comment on the rule, and feedback is open to all who are interested.
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The Adult Protection Policy Manual has been recently updated to include a new appendix, Assessment Response Decision Tree (appendix B).
The Assessment Response Decision Tree was developed by Evident Change in collaboration with DHS. The Decision Tree supports APS decision on if the allegation of maltreatment of the adult referred and accepted for APS should be assessed with determination or with no determination of maltreatment. If there are multiple allegations, each allegation has its own decision path.
The Decision Tree is consistent with county duties under the Vulnerable Adult Act as operationalized in the Adult Protection Policy Manual under "Assessment Response 22-CD."
Minnesota DHS has developed three new PSAs to encourage reporting of suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of vulnerable adults. These PSA videos can be useful tools when presenting in the community or sharing with your MDT.
View all versions of existing PSAs on the MN Adult Protection YouTube page.
MN APS Foundations is an online course offered by the MN DHS Adult Protection Unit and provides basic introduction to the MN adult protection system for new APS professionals, or APS professionals seeking a refresher. The course focuses on fundamental elements such as APS statutes, definitions, MAARC, MN APS Operational Plan, lead investigative agencies (LIAs), and APS case overview from intake to case closure.
Two APS Foundations cohorts are now available:
Upcoming APS Foundations Dates (registration is for both days):
October 31 & November 2, 2023 (Tu & Th), 8:30a - 12:30p each day | Click Here to Register
November 28 & 30, 2023 (Tu & Th), 8:30a - 12:30p each day | Click Here to Register
Materials available via eDocs
eDocs is a document repository that contains forms and documents in multiple languages. The searchable document library (eDocs) allows clients, county and tribal workers, providers, employees and other stakeholders to easily access current versions of documents.
A search for "Adult Protection" will yield numerous documents, including the MN Adult Abuse Reporting Center brochure, which is available in English, Hmong, Karen, Lao, Somali, Spanish, Pashto, and Vietnamese.
Question?
Please connect with the DHS Adult Protection Unit at dhs.adultprotection@state.mn.us or (651) 431-2609.
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Data help policy makers and the public understand the nature and scope of an issue. In the case of adult protection, data provide a basis to understand if vulnerable adults are treated fairly and justly in our state. Data can impact program evaluation, benchmarks for quality and performance outcomes, budget planning and resource allocation, and inform evidenced based prevention and remediation/service response for vulnerable adults who have been maltreated.
“Without data, you're just another person with an opinion."
― W. Edwards Deming
The image below is from the National Process Evaluation of the Adult Protective Services System, 2023 and shows the results from a national APS survey on performance measures monitored by states to assess APS impact on client outcomes. Repeat APS assessment of the same adult was the most common performance measure implemented across states.
DHS Adult Protection Resource Specialist (APRS)
DHS Adult Protection Resource Specialist (APRS) staff support APS workers and supervisors with policy clarification and case consultation regarding intake, assessment, service intervention, and assessment outcomes for the safety and dignity of adults vulnerable to maltreatment reported as having experienced maltreatment.
Connect with an APRS today at dhs.adultprotection@state.mn.us or (651) 431-2609.
Vulnerable Adult Protection Dashboard
The Vulnerable Adult Protection Dashboard provides annual state and county data on the number of reports, allegations, and investigation determinations to explain what happens after reports of suspected maltreatment are made to the Minnesota Adult Abuse Reporting Center (MAARC).
MN APS Foundations
MN APS Foundations is an online course offered by the MN DHS Adult Protection Unit and provides basic introduction to the MN adult protection system for new APS professionals, or APS professionals seeking a refresher. The course focuses on fundamental elements such as APS statutes, definitions, MAARC, MN APS Operational Plan, lead investigative agencies (LIAs), and APS case overview from intake to case closure. Attendees will need to complete both days to receive a certificate of completion.
APS Foundations training dates are intended to precede SSIS Adult Protection Worker Training offerings, so APS professionals have the option to attend policy-focused training (APS Foundations) and systems-focused training (SSIS Adult Protection Worker Training) sequentially.
Upcoming APS Foundations Dates (registration is for both days):
October 31 & November 2, 2023 (Tu & Th), 8:30a - 12:30p each day | Click Here to Register
November 28 & 30, 2023 (Tu & Th), 8:30a - 12:30p each day | Click Here to Register
MN APS Foundations supports equity and consistency in service response and outcomes that safeguard and promote dignity for vulnerable adults regardless of their location in Minnesota, and the course addresses core competency training recommendations in the ACL Voluntary Consensus Guidelines for State APS Systems.
Please contact us at dhs.adultprotection@state.mn.us if you have any questions.
SSIS Essentials eLearning
SSIS Essentials is a collection of six eLearning courses designed to provide caseworkers with an introduction to basic navigation and functionality of core SSIS functions. SSIS Essentials eLearning is offered through TrainLink. New workers are encouraged (not required) to take the online SSIS Essentials eLearning courses prior to taking SSIS Adult Protection Worker training.
Please visit the SSIS Essentials eLearning website for registration and TrainLink instructions, technical requirements, and more detailed information about each of the six SSIS Essentials courses.
SSIS Adult Protection Worker Training
The SSIS Adult Protection Worker course is a technical training designed to provide an overview of data entry as related to Adult Protective Services (APS) into SSIS. The training is offered in two half-day virtual classes and is designed for new adult protection workers, SSIS Mentors, and those seeking a refresher. New workers are encouraged to take the online SSIS Essentials eLearning courses prior to SSIS Adult Protection Worker Training. More information can be found on the SSIS Adult Protection Worker Training website.
Upcoming SSIS Adult Protection Worker Training:
- Dec 4 and 7, 2023
- Jan 22 and 25, 2024
- March 4 and 7, 2024
- April 29 and May 2, 2024
- June 3 and 6, 2024
Please visit the SSIS Adult Protection Worker Training website for registration instructions, additional resources, and more detailed information about the course.
National Adult Protective Services Training Center (NATC)
The National Adult Protective Services Training Center (NATC) provides free training for APS professionals nationwide. NATC course topics include: APS Overview; Ethics, Values, and Cultural Responsiveness; Voluntary Case Planning; Trauma-Informed Practices; Case Documentation; and many more. To access, create a free account and click "Find Courses" to view available courses. Check out the NATC LMS User Guide if you need help creating an account or navigating the website.
The NATC is operated by NAPSA and is supported by the ACL. NATC training offerings are supplemental to MN APS Foundations training for APS professionals, and are one method to meet the MN APS statutory requirement of 8 hours annual training specific to adult protection duties.
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APS Technical Assistance and Resource Center (TARC)
APS TARC provides a variety of no-cost educational opportunities for APS professionals including webinars, briefs, and toolkits that align with APS Core Competencies in national standards. APS TARC offerings address a wide variety of topics including APS supervision, frauds and scams, interviews with experts, APS investigation, impacts of COVID-19 on APS, and more. Keep up to date with APS TARC offerings by joining their mailing list.
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Additional Practice Resources
Find information on adult protection policy, procedure, resources, and training information for mandated reporters and APS on the DHS Adult Protection: Policies and Procedures web page. Specific training resources for APS workers are included under the "Adult protection worker resources and training" drop down. These resources support APS workers meeting education requirements under 626.557 Subd. 9e.
The DHS Adult Protection Newsletter shares knowledge specific to adult protection work in MN, answers common questions regarding adult protection work in MN, and provides awareness of DHS Adult Protection training opportunities. Please contact us with any questions or concerns at dhs.adultprotection@state.mn.us or (651) 431-2609
For more information about DHS Adult Protection, please visit us online DHS AP: Program Overview
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