Pine Ridge Residence is now a Community Residential Setting
Tue, 09/15/2020 - 1:50pm
admin
As many of you may or may not know Pine Ridge Residence, a home for individuals with developmental disabilities transitioned from an Intermediate Care Facility (ICF) to a Community Residential Setting (CRS) formally known as a Corporate Adult Foster Home on March 1 of this year. This was a huge undertaking as Pine Ridge Residence has been an ICF since its opening in 1975. There were many laws that have passed in the last 15 years that was making it difficult to continue operating Pine Ridge as an ICF. Hence the decision was made to move forward with the closing of Pine Ridge Residence as an ICF and opening the CRS that we are operating today.
Some of the reasons for the closure of the ICF include the Jensen Settlement which involves a federal lawsuit that was filed in 2009 against the Department of Human Services alleging residents had been restrained and secluded at the Minnesota Extended Treatment Options (METO) program located in Cambridge, MN. The parties involved in the lawsuit settled in late 2011 and the Jensen Settlement was born. In short, the Jensen Settlement is to prevent the re-institutionalization and transfers of individuals with Disabilities to more restrictive settings, and to maintain the most integrated setting as possible.
There were 3 main parts to the Jenson settlement. The first was the Life Project. The second is the Rule 40 modernization and the third is the Minnesota Olmsted Plan. The Life Project was meant to help those individuals that lived at METO to prevent re-institutionalization while maintaining the most integrated setting as possible. This was not only meant for the individuals of METO but for every individual who had disabilities across Minnesota. This also included teaching care providers the techniques to use in person-centered positive behavior supports and to address health or medication needs. These services are meant to improve overall quality of life.
The second part of the Jensen Settlement is the modernization of Rule 40. Rule 40 governs licensed facilities the use of aversive and deprivation procedures that serve people with disabilities. Using positive support strategies and using the least restrictive measures when working with people with disabilities became effective in 2015.
The third part of the Jensen Settlement is the Minnesota Olmstead Plan. This plan requires States to eliminate unnecessary segregation of persons with disabilities and integrate them to into the most integrated settings as possible that will suit their needs by ensuring they have a right to choose where they live, where they work, socialize in the Communities that they live in and to be a productive part of society.
With all these changes that have taken place in the recent years the Board of Directors of Pine Ridge Residence as well as Myself felt that the time was right to pursue the licensing change.
What does the licensing change mean for Pine Ridge as a whole? The biggest change is the splitting of Pine Ridge into two separate CRS homes. The first floor of Pine Ridge is Apt A where 4 individuals live. The lower floor of Pine Ridge is Apt B with 4 individuals as well. In addition to the of splitting PRR the rules and regulations that govern the CRS are different. Offering more choices and more involvement in the daily running of Pine Ridge Residence.
With all the changes that have happened with licensing the past year we are still in the process of getting used to all the changes and are looking forward to what the future holds!
Sincerely, Jessica Horn
Executive Director
Pine Ridge Residence/Clearwater DAC