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MBA staff use this communication to provide news and updates regarding Area Plan and related AAA activities.
Area Plan updates
April 2026 Joint meeting date change
April Joint Meeting date has been changed to Tuesday, April 14, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The meeting invitation has been updated. Thank you for your flexibility.
Reminder: Updated Year 1 (CY2025) budget due March 31, 2026
An updated Year 1 (CY 2025) budget is due March 31, 2026 – see the March 4, 2026 AAA News and Updates announcement.
For questions, contact the MBA Grants Team via the MBA Area Plan email inbox.
Aging network updates
Share feedback about LTSS
DHS invites interested parties to provide feedback on Minnesota’s Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) system through an anonymous survey.
Survey details
- Survey opens: March 10, 2026
- Survey closes: March 31, 2026
- Participants: All interested parties
- Available languages: English, Hmong, Russian, Somali and Spanish
- How to participate: To complete the survey in English, Hmong, Russian, Somali or Spanish, refer to MN LTSS Community Partner Survey.
Survey results
Public Consulting Group, LLC, is responsible for coordinating the survey and analyzing the results. They will share the survey results with the LTSS Advisory Council in April 2026. The results will help the council develop cost savings recommendations, which are due to the Minnesota Legislature on Dec. 1, 2026.
More information
For more information about the LTSS Advisory Council, refer to:
Comprehensive Aging Survey Update
Steering committee
The steering committee met last week to review survey progress. The committee discussed ongoing survey revisions, considerations for proxy respondents, and current efforts to recruit participants for cognitive testing. Members also reviewed the regional and community outreach plan and provided feedback to strengthen engagement across the state.
Project timeline
The project timeline remains on track, with the following expected dates:
- March 31, 2026: Survey finalization expected
- April 2026: Cognitive testing and preparation for data collection
- May 2026 through July 15, 2026: Statewide data collection
- Data analysis and reporting scheduled through September 2026.
Next steps
- Vital Research will finalize the survey questions by March 31, 2026
- AAAs will be asked to support recruitment for cognitive testing and then to assist with survey outreach to providers who focus on serving culturally specific populations
- AAAs will be provided outreach toolkits to support raising general awareness of the survey.
Supported Decision Making reports available
Background
In 2023, the Minnesota Legislature authorized up to four million dollars in grant funding to be awarded to organizations providing and promoting Supported Decision Making (SDM). MBA staff, led by Legal Assistance Developer Kirsten Olson, supervised management of this funding, which was awarded to five organizations through a competitive process. The five organizations, Advocating Change Together, Center for Excellence in Supported Decision Making, Hennepin County Adult Representation Services, Lutheran Social Services, and Rice County Guardianship Services, will complete their grant-funded work by June 30, 2026.
SDM Legislative Reports
By statute, DHS was required to issue two reports to the legislature describing impacts and outcomes of the Supported Decision Making grant program. The first report, published in January 2025, provided an overview of Minnesota’s guardianship system and the need for supported decision making services in the state. The second report, released in December 2025, updates the previous analysis and evaluates the activities and outcomes associated with implementation of the SDM grants from July 2024 through September 2025.
As the SDM funding was statutorily extended from June 30, 2025, to June 30, 2026, a third summary report will also be created to provide an update on the full grant activities through the revised new end date.
To read the reports, go to:
Grant opportunity: Health Awareness Hub Pilot Project
The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), through the Aging and Adult Services Division, is seeking proposals from qualified grant applicants, as authorized by an organization serving Liberians in Minnesota for a health awareness hub pilot project. The pilot project must address health care education and the physical and mental wellness needs of older individuals within the African immigrant community, by offering culturally relevant support, resources and preventive care education from medical practitioners with a similar background and by making appropriate referrals to culturally competent programs, supports and medical care.
To view the Request for Proposal (RFP), visit: DHS - Open grants, RFPs and RFIs.
Questions
Email Mike Saindon, project lead, with questions about the grant.
National Center on Law and Elder Rights federal contract cancelled
Background
The National Center on Law and Elder Rights (NCLER) was established under the direction of the federal Administration for Community Living for the purpose of supporting aging providers and legal services in addressing the needs of older adults, especially those who are economically or socially vulnerable. It is a national hub offering a variety of resources, including free legal training, case consultations and technical assistance on legal systems development for Title III B legal service providers, State Unit on Aging staff, AAAs, Long-Term Care Ombudsmen programs and Adult Protection Services professionals.
Over the past decade, NCLER was administered by Justice in Aging, a national non-profit organization focused on legal advocacy for older adults. This week, Justice in Aging announced that their contract to administer NCLER was cancelled by the Department of Health and Human Services. A new contract administrator has not been announced.
Potential impact
MBA staff are reviewing the potential impact of this change to Minnesota’s elder justice network programs. While Justice in Aging has stated that they will continue to offer legal webinars and case consultations, there may be an impact to availability of new legal resources and lagging response times. We recommend that legal providers and other elder justice professionals connect with MBA Legal Assistance Developer Kirsten Olson if they are unable to connect with technical assistance providers through Justice in Aging or NCLER / Elder Justice programming. Additionally, the Minnesota Elder Justice Center offers free webinars and their staff are available to provide technical assistance for many elder related legal needs.
Gitchi-Gami Trail gets national attention
Forwarded on behalf of the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission (ARDC):
The Gitchi-Gami State Trail is a paved trail built to ADA standards that will one day connect Two Harbors, MN to Grand Marais, MN. The trail currently has 36.7 miles constructed in several segments, and each of them is a gem!
The trail has been recognized as one of the “Best Recreational Trails in the US” by USA Today. It is a voting contest where folks can click and vote for their favorite trail (once per day) through noon on April 6, 2026. We are currently in 3rd place, and we are up against some very impressive and worthy trails across the nation. We invite you to check out the voting link here: https://10best.usatoday.com/awards/gitchi-gami-state-trail-minnesota/.
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AAA News and Updates archive
To view past communications, visit AAA News and Updates archive.
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