Department of Human Services delays leave Minnesotans with disabilities in limbo

Minnesota s Department of Human Services DHS is failing to meet its the greater part basic obligations and the consequences are devastating For Minnesotans with disabilities the department s inaction is not just a bureaucratic failure it s a denial of dignity independence and legal rights DHS s ongoing delays in processing essential waiver applications and organization authorizations are in direct violation of its own federally approved waiver plan amendments and state statutory timelines The delays are leaving hundreds of individuals in limbo unable to move into affordable accessible housing or receive the services they are legally entitled to The consequence is a growing dilemma that undermines the very purpose of our state s disability backing systems These failures are forcing people to remain in hospitals group homes or other institutional settings long after they are ready to transition into more independent community-based living This is not only a violation of the principles of person-centered care it s a violation of federal law under the Olmstead decision which guarantees individuals the right to live in the least restrictive context doable The story of Justina Blatterman just now revealed by KSTP is just one example Justina who requires -hour care in a fully-accessible setting has waited over a year for DHS to approve a simple provision change that would allow her to move into an accessible apartment she s been waiting for since Despite submitting all required documentation the application remains unprocessed forcing her to choose between losing her care or losing her housing opportunity But this predicament extends far beyond individual stories Small community-based providers especially those led by Black Indigenous and people of color BIPOC are being pushed to the brink These providers often serve the greater part marginalized populations and operate on razor-thin margins When DHS delays payments or fails to authorize services in a timely manner these providers are forced to absorb the cost or turn away clients This not only threatens their survival it deepens racial disparities in access to care Compounding the issue is DHS s flawed and constantly evolving system for prioritizing applications The current criteria among other issues fail to account for critical factors such as the affordability and accessibility of housing or whether staffing and nursing care are available at a given location As a outcome individuals with rare opportunities to move into truly supportive accessible and sustainable housing are deprioritized while DHS processes other cases that may not carry the same urgency or hazard of loss This approach is not only inefficient it s deeply inequitable Even as the state promotes its Waiver Reimagine initiative DHS continues to fall short of its current obligations The department has acknowledged a backlog of over applications yet has offered no clear plan to resolve it There is no transparency no accountability and no urgency from leadership Minnesota has long been regarded as a national leader in disability rights and inclusion But that reputation is rapidly eroding DHS s persistent failure to follow its own rules and meet legally mandated timelines is not merely a plan lapse it is a civil rights problem People with disabilities and the providers who patronage them should not have to fight for access to services that are already guaranteed under state and federal law Josh Berg Credit P hoto courtesy of Josh Berg We need urgent decisive action to restore trust in DHS The backlog must be cleared Statutory timelines must be enforced And leadership must be held accountable for the harm caused by inaction The solutions are not out of reach there are plenty of advocates providers and region leaders ready and willing to backing DHS in making the necessary reforms Unfortunately current leadership has shown little interest in working collaboratively or transparently This unwillingness to engage constructively has left the system at a dangerous impasse one where people s lives and well-being hang in the balance Until meaningful change occurs Minnesotans will continue to suffer not because the information don t exist but because the systems designed to deliver them are broken and those in charge are failing to fix them Josh Berg is the director of Minnesota Services Strategic Advance for the nonprofit Accessible Space Inc The post Department of Human Services delays leave Minnesotans with disabilities in limbo appeared first on MinnPost