By Ken Bence, Director of Research, Analysis and Policy
Adding breadth and depth to the data-backed analysis of key industry factors is an effort which will improve ARRM’s ability to continue its leadership in promoting the strength and future of home and community-based services (HCBS). It will also help our association more effectively craft and advocate for policy to address members’ primary pain points.
Ongoing complimentary analysis efforts will help us gain these insights.
ARRM Industry Survey
The ARRM Industry Survey measures key benchmarks for HCBS providers around staffing, service utilization and certain outcomes. Collected from ARRM members, it is the most consistent source of data reporting on the state of the private Minnesota HCBS network.
We have worked hard this year to strengthen the response rate, and say thank you to our members for responding. We sent numerous emails, promoted it to primary and secondary organization contacts via our newsletters, and even utilized the United States Postal Service to make sure every organization received at least one hard copy. This approach seems to have helped because we are nearly at 50 percent response going into the preliminary analysis phase.
I am excited to share early results at the November Business and Finance Forum. And I hope that those organizations that weren’t able to complete their surveys by the initial deadline will still submit their responses during the month of November so they can be included in the final analysis.
State Labor Market Survey
Just before we kicked off our Industry Survey in early October, the Minnesota Deparment of Human Services (DHS) conducted their labor market report survey, a new reporting requirement passed during the 2019 legislative session. The purpose of directing DHS to conduct this new annual survey was to inform state decision-makers, and the public, about the direct support labor market, including its size and scope, wages and benefits, as well as issues related to service access.
The survey applies to providers of:
- home and community-based services for people with developmental disabilities under section 256B.092;
- home and community-based services for people with disabilities under section 256B.049;
- services with rates determined under section 256B.4914, subd. 3 (the Disability Waiver Rate System (DWRS));
- community first services and supports under section 256B.85;
- nursing and home health services under section 256B.0625, subd. 6a;
- day training and habilitation services for residents of intermediate care facilities for persons with developmental disabilities under section 256B.501;
- financial management services who serve participants in various programs;
- other services as enumerated in statute
If you don’t remember getting information on this survey, don’t worry. Only a relatively small, random sample of providers will be chosen for the DHS survey each year, a sample that will provide statistically relevant data across geography, organization size and other differentiators.
Complimentary, not competing
Some members have asked us what the difference is between the 2 surveys, and why is ARRM conducting its own. There are a few reasons:
- Quite simply, it’s important that whenever possible, ARRM should conduct independent reporting efforts to effectively represent its members. In just one example, while by number ARRM represents less than 10 percent of HCBS organizations, by size ARRM represents half the HCBS provider capacity in the state.
- It’s beneficial for ARRM and its members to have the data to compare against “statewide” averages, so we can identify potential issues unique to ARRM Members, and celebrate areas where our members are leaders.
- Extracting data from the department for our own analysis takes extra time and bureaucratic hassle which having our own data sets negates.
To hopefully ease some of the data gathering burden for you, we modelled this year’s ARRM survey on DHS’ labor market report survey as much as possible so that similar data wouldn’t have to be reported in slightly different ways. If you saw both surveys, you hopefully noticed many of the same questions.
We realize that gathering and reporting the data we asked for in our survey takes significant time and effort to compile, in many cases requiring input from multiple employees and/or departments. On behalf of the ARRM staff and board of directors, thank you for your commitment to our efforts. Because of your contributions, we will have a powerful story to tell and reliable data to draw on when we are speaking with decision makers and stakeholders to develop and enhance their understanding of the forces that affect your day-to-day operations, and your ability to help those you support live to their fullest potential.
Contact Ken at kbence@arrm.org.