DHS Hosts June 17 Community Forum on Racial and Ethnic Disparities in HCBS

Posted on June 9, 2021 by Libbie Chapuran

he Minnesota Department of Human Services, in partnership with the University of Minnesota and Minnesota Leadership Council on Aging, is presenting a free community forum entitled FOUNDATIONS FOR CHANGE: Evaluating Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Home and Community Based Services on Thursday, June 17 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Identified by the Blue-Ribbon Commission as a critical strategy to advance equity for Minnesota's older adults and individuals living with disabilities, attendees will hear preliminary research findings from state data and the feedback from a diverse Community Advisory Board convened between Sept. 2020 and April 2021.

Speakers include Assistant DHS Commissioners Gertrude Matemba-Mutasa and Dan Pollock and Tetyana Shippee and Odichinma Akosionu from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. Providers attending will be joined by state and county staff working across Minnesota’s aging and disability HCBS waiver services, as well as individuals representing diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds who receive waivered services.

They want to hear from you
Participants will help inform the subsequent two phases of this work by sharing lived experiences or professional insights in small group discussions. Topics range from meaningful community engagement and navigating the HCBS system to informing research questions or shaping upcoming state RFPs.

Invite community members
This virtual event is free of charge, and every effort to accommodate translation services will be made. Certificates of Attendance for 1 CEU will be provided. Members are encouraged to invite people you serve to participate. Attendees not otherwise compensated by their employer will also receive a stipend for their time.

Register today and share news of this program with your personal and professional network. Learn more at https://www.mnlcoa.org/june17. For further information, contact Leadership Council Executive Director Adam Suomala at 651-271-3116 or adam@mnlcoa.org.