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The DHS/MACSSA APS Partnership Work Group has developed new intake screening guidelines for county adult protection agencies. Guidelines were developed as part of the partnership's goals for agreement on APS's role when there is a case manager. The APS Partnership Work Group reviewed the guidelines developed by the group with MACSSA's Adult Services Committee and incorporate their feedback. The guidelines were finalized in August 2023 and used by the APS Partnership to guide work with Evident Change for updates to the SDM Intake Tool®. The screening guidance was shared with APS Supervisors and Managers during the January 30, 2024 program administrator call. The final document will be available soon at Adult Protection / Minnesota Department of Human Services (mn.gov) under "Manuals and Resources."
Adult Protective Services in the Social Services Continuum
Adult Protection Screening Guidelines
- Adults referred to APS meeting criteria as vulnerable and potentially abused, financially exploited, or neglected by a caregiver, who have a current case manager through, or under contract with the agency, are accepted for APS assessment.
- Adults referred to APS meeting criteria as vulnerable and potentially self-neglecting are accepted for APS assessment. However, if the individual has a current case manager through, or under contract with, the agency, the adult may be screened out for APS and referred to the case manager when APS identifies through intake case management can address the health and safety of the adult.
- Adults referred to APS, meeting criteria as vulnerable and potentially maltreated, are accepted for APS assessment regardless of whether the adult is temporarily safe as a result of short-term licensed services such as a hospital, transitional care unit, or home care. APS will not screen out adults referred for maltreatment only on the basis of the adult being temporarily safe as a result of short-term services.
- Each APS agency establishes service prioritization guidelines based on their resources and expertise. This means APS agencies may not accept adults meeting criteria as vulnerable and potentially being maltreated for APS assessment.
August, 2023, APS Partnership Group, DHS and MACSSA representatives
Supportive Decision Making
APS has a duty to balance an adult's safety and choice using the least restrictive intervention, and APS is ethically bound to consider the person’s wishes and engage the person and their support(s) in the least restrictive service interventions possible to stop maltreatment and reduce risk of reoccurrence.
Guardianship is one of the most restrictive interventions and involves removal of many of an adult’s civil rights and can have numerous unintended consequences. Changes in guardianship statute in 2020 require petitioners to identify what less restrictive means have been attempted and considered, how long such less restrictive means was attempted, and why less restrictive means are not sufficient to meet the adult’s needs.
One alternative is Supported Decision Making. Supported decision making means assistance from one or more persons of an individual’s choosing in understanding the nature and consequences of potential personal and financial decisions which enables the individual to make the decisions and, when consistent with the individual’s wishes, in communicating a decision once made.
At times, APS workers find themselves advocating for less restrictive alternatives, such as Supported Decision Making, to doctors, nurses, case managers, school professional, facility staff and family members. APS workers focus on person-centered engagement with the adult, their support system, case management, representative payees, financial fiduciaries, home and community-based services, and supported decision making. Supported decision making promotes self-determination, control, and autonomy of the adult, as well as supports person-centered practice, fosters independence, and enables the adult to make decisions with assistance from a trusted support, or network of supporters.
Here are some resources to better understand supported decision making:
- The Center for Excellence in Supported Decision Making and Protective Services CESDM- Volunteers of America Minnesota and Wisconsin. CESDM published Best Practices For Supported Decision Making: How to be an effective supporter which provides recommendations for supporters helping someone with decision-making, as well as anyone who wants to learn more about how to use supported decision-making. This resource includes a template SDM health care directive and SDM explanation videos.
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National Resource Center for Supported Decision Making (NRC-SDM) builds on and extends the work of Quality Trust’s Jenny Hatch Justice Project by bringing together vast and varied partners to ensure that input is obtained from all relevant stakeholder groups including older adults, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), family members, advocates, professionals, and providers. NRC-SDM provides several resources on SDM for adults, their supports and professionals.
- Jonathan Martinis, Introduction and Guide to Supported Decision Making Videos
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 adapted from an APS TARC presentation by Karl Urban titled, "What Recent Federal Research Can Teach Us About Enhancing APS Services." The chart shows a wide range of percentage of reports accepted at intake across the country. Minnesota accepts 21% of reports at intake, and the national average is 55% of reports accepted at intake.
Image adapted from APS TARC presentation: What Recent Federal Research Can Teach Us About Enhancing APS Services
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.
MN Adult Protection eLearning Courses
MN Adult Protection eLearning courses provide free self-paced foundational training for county and tribal APS workers across Minnesota. APS professionals can take these online courses in any order and review courses at any time. These courses align with national APS core competencies and MN state APS policy. Completion of the 12 courses are prerequisite for the live, online MN APS Foundations course.
Links to the free eLearning courses are available on the “Adult Protection: policies and procedure” website. There are 12 new eLearning courses:
- What is Adult Protection in Minnesota?
- Adult Protective Services Populations Served & Eligibility
- MAARC Functions and Duties
- Lead Investigative Agencies (LIA) and Jurisdiction for Maltreatment Response
- EPS Intake
- APS Intake
- Assessment Response
- APS Assessment
- APS Coordination and Data Sharing
- Completing Protective Services and Case Closure
- Engagement Strategies
- Completing Final Disposition and Appeals
MN Adult Protection eLearning courses were developed to complement existing National Adult Protective Services Training Center (NATC) training opportunities and support APS worker professional development.
Please contact us at dhs.adultprotection@state.mn.us if you have any questions.
MN APS Foundations
MN APS Foundations is a live, online course offered by the MN DHS Adult Protection Unit. MN APS Foundations applies case examples and practical scenarios to help clarify statutory definitions and policy principles of the MN adult protection system.
Completion of the 12 MN Adult Protection eLearning courses are a prerequisite for attending MN APS Foundations.
2024 MN APS Foundations dates and times TBD; additional information will be communicated via future APS Newsletters.
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:
- 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 self-paced eLearning courses 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 NATC eLearning courses, 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 eLearning courses, 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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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).
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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