Minnesota Home and Community Based Service (HCBS), Continuity of Care, Transition and Provider Capacity Building Mini-Grant

MN.GEAR.DHS@state.mn.us

This opportunity offers grants to protect continuity of care for people in Minnesota who are Medicaid eligible who have lost or are at risk of losing home and community based services (HCBS) because their provider can no longer serve them.

The mini-grant funds two components through a single application. Applicants may propose either component or both.

1. Continuity of care and recipient transition:
   • Applicants must describe how they will identify affected recipients, or receive referrals for them, and help them maintain or re-establish services.
   • Activities may include outreach to recipients and families, needs assessment, provider identification and referral, transition planning, coordination with case managers and lead agencies, language access, transportation coordination, help with paperwork, and follow-up to confirm the recipient is receiving services.
2. Provider capacity building:
   • Applicants must describe what prevents qualified providers from accepting recipients and what investments would remove those barriers.
   • Capacity-building activities may include home modifications, specific skilled workforce recruitment and onboarding, specialized training to meet an individual's identified needs, accessibility modifications, assistive technology, equipment, accessible transportation capacity, and other reasonable investments needed to serve affected recipients.

The purpose of the mini-grant is to:

• Protect continuity of care for HCBS recipients experiencing, or at risk of, service disruption
• Help HCBS recipients identify, select, and transition to qualified providers
• Increase the capacity of qualified HCBS providers to accept affected recipients
• Reduce the length and severity of service gaps
• Protect recipients' health, safety, choice, independence, and community integration
• Address access issues affecting rural and other populations experiencing barriers to HCBS

Eligible applicants are licensed and enrolled HCBS providers (for-profit and nonprofit), nonprofit and community-based organizations, culturally specific organizations, tribal nations and tribal organizations, disability and aging organizations, HCBS navigation organizations, and other qualified entities that meet the requirements below.

Applicants must:

• Hold required licenses, certifications, and enrollment when proposing to directly provide HCBS
• Demonstrate experience serving people with disabilities, older adults, or HCBS recipients
• Demonstrate the ability to respond quickly to service disruptions and the ability to begin grant activities within 30 days of contract execution
• Demonstrate partnerships or coordination with relevant HCBS providers, case managers, counties, lead agencies, health plans, and community organizations in the area served
• Maintain appropriate fiscal, administrative, privacy, and internal controls
• Identify measurable recipient and capacity-building outcomes

Priority will be given to proposals that serve recipients who are particularly difficult to reconnect because of:

• Complex or high support needs
• Risk of hospitalization, institutional placement, homelessness, or other adverse outcomes resulting from loss of services or limited provider availability
• Rural or medically underserved location
• Language or cultural barriers
• Accessibility or transportation needs
• Need for specialized or culturally responsive services

Award ceiling: $25,000
Project period: Activities and expenditures must be completed by June 30, 2027
Estimated total program funding: $650,000

Links to application instructions and the application cover sheet are available on the program website.

Email completed applications to MN.GEAR.DHS@state.mn.us.