Orientation
245D.09 topic list within 60 calendar days of hire
Maltreatment reporting
Vulnerable Adults Act training within 72 hours of first direct contact
Annual training
Topic/competency-based — no fixed statutory hour count
Restraint
Positive Supports Rule (Minn. R. 9544); EUMR only under 245D.061
Medication
Setup/assist/administer only after 245D.09 training; RN delegates injectables (245D.05)
Abuse reporting
Mandated reporter — MAARC 1-844-880-1574 (Minn. Stat. 626.557)
Minnesota delivers community disability supports through the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), which licenses providers under Minnesota Statutes Chapter 245D (Home and Community-Based Services Standards). Services are funded through Medical Assistance (MA) — Minnesota’s Medicaid program — and its disability waivers (DD, CADI, BI, CAC), with case management run by county and tribal lead agencies. 245D splits services into basic and intensive support, and the person is always referred to as an “individual” with a support plan (the CSSP and CSSP Addendum).
Minnesota anchors DSP training to Minn. Stat. 245D.09. A new DSP completes orientation within 60 calendar days of hire, pairing supervised on-the-job training with instruction on the required topics: incident reporting, policies, data privacy, service recipient rights, person-centered planning, manual restraint and prohibited procedures, basic first aid, and sexual-violence prevention. The maltreatment-reporting element must be completed within 72 hours of first providing direct-contact services. Minnesota’s annual training is topic- and competency-based — the statute does not set a fixed number of annual hours.
The Positive Supports Rule (Minn. Rules chapter 9544) and Minn. Stat. 245D.06 put positive support strategies first and prohibit seclusion; chemical, mechanical, and prone restraint; and any aversive or deprivation procedure used as a substitute for staffing, as a behavior program, as punishment, or for staff convenience. Emergency use of manual restraint (EUMR) is permitted only under Minn. Stat. 245D.061 — when there is imminent risk of physical harm and it is the least restrictive option — and it triggers a reporting chain (a written report within 3 calendar days, an internal review, the expanded support team, and an external report to DHS and the Ombudsman) filed on the Behavior Intervention Reporting Form (DHS-5148).
Every 245D DSP is a mandated reporter under the Vulnerable Adults Act (Minn. Stat. 626.557). When you know or have reason to believe a vulnerable adult is being or has been maltreated, report immediately to the Minnesota Adult Abuse Reporting Center (MAARC), 1-844-880-1574 — the statewide common entry point, 24/7. Reports about DHS-licensed 245D programs are investigated by the DHS Office of Inspector General. Maltreatment of a minor is reported under Chapter 260E. See our guide to becoming a 245D provider in Minnesota.
DSPlife™ TrainingHub is built for Minnesota DHS/245D, DDS, DES/DDD, DDA, IDHS/DDD, OPWDD, MDHHS, DBHDD, APD, DODD, DMH/DD/SUS, ODP, HHSC, and DBHDS providers. Its Minnesota library ships with courses your staff can complete on their own schedule — the DHS/245D system and the support plan, service recipient rights, the Vulnerable Adults Act and MAARC reporting, positive supports and the EUMR/BIRF process, medication under 245D.05, and a guided first-60-days onboarding path mapped to the 245D.09 topic list — logs completion, tracks the 60-day and 72-hour deadlines with automatic alerts, and generates audit-ready records for licensing review. See the full compliance overview.
The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) licenses community disability providers under Minnesota Statutes Chapter 245D and sets the staff-training standards in 245D.09. Services are funded through Medical Assistance (MA) — Minnesota’s Medicaid program, not the state of Massachusetts — and case management runs through county and tribal lead agencies. In the 2024–2025 state reorganization, some functions moved to new departments, but 245D licensing, the disability waivers, and background studies all stayed with DHS.
Under 245D.09, a new DSP completes orientation within 60 calendar days of hire, combining supervised on-the-job training with instruction on required topics — incident reporting, policies, data privacy, service recipient rights, person-centered planning, manual restraint and prohibited procedures, basic first aid, and sexual-violence prevention. Maltreatment-reporting (Vulnerable Adults Act) training must be completed within 72 hours of first providing direct-contact services. Minnesota’s annual training is topic- and competency-based; the statute does not set a fixed number of annual hours.
The Positive Supports Rule (Minn. Rules chapter 9544) and Minn. Stat. 245D.06 prohibit seclusion, chemical, mechanical, and prone restraint, and any aversive or deprivation procedure used as a substitute for staffing, as a behavior program, as punishment, or for staff convenience. Emergency use of manual restraint (EUMR) is allowed only under Minn. Stat. 245D.061 — when there is imminent risk of physical harm and it is the least restrictive option — and it triggers a reporting chain (a written report within 3 calendar days, an internal review, the expanded support team, and an external report to DHS and the Ombudsman) via the Behavior Intervention Reporting Form (DHS-5148).
Yes, within limits. Under Minn. Stat. 245D.05, unlicensed 245D staff may perform medication setup, medication assistance, and medication administration only after completing the required training under 245D.09. A supervising registered nurse, with a physician’s order, may delegate administration of injectable medications and must provide that training. Providers keep a Medication Administration Record and conduct a medication-administration review at least every three months.
Report immediately to the Minnesota Adult Abuse Reporting Center (MAARC) at 1-844-880-1574, the statewide common entry point, available 24/7. Under the Vulnerable Adults Act (Minn. Stat. 626.557), every 245D DSP is a mandated reporter who must report when they know or have reason to believe a vulnerable adult is being or has been maltreated. Maltreatment of a minor is reported under Chapter 260E to the local welfare agency or law enforcement.
General information, not legal advice. DSPlife™ TrainingHub is not affiliated with the Minnesota Department of Human Services. Confirm current requirements at mn.gov/dhs and the Minnesota Statutes and Rules at revisor.mn.gov.
Assign the Minnesota 245D courses, log completion automatically, and get alerts before the 60-day orientation window or the 72-hour maltreatment-reporting deadline lapses. Free to start — no credit card required.
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