Hello! 

My name is Jena Kulenkamp, and I am the Transition and Resource Coordinator at MICC. In my unique role as a member of the Financial Services Office, I work with participants and families to provide resources in the areas of county/state benefits and services, and family education. I often provide education and support as families navigate the waiver process, and I am sure I have spoken to many of you before regarding waivers. 

I am reaching out to you because you have written or may write a CDCS CSP plan for a MICC participant in the College or Community Programs.

As MICC continues to grow and counties continue to make changes, I want to ensure you all have the most up-to-date information about MICC to support you in writing plans for our participants. Please note the section related to E1MN is relevant explicitly to the Jobs and Employment service category. The Careers FIND stage for our Community Program participants and College Program seniors will no longer be able to use CDCS funding. However, please reference the section below for more information.


I kindly ask you to please review the information in this email, especially the resources, which will be helpful with CDCS plan writing for MICC participants. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out!

Best,
 
Jena Kulenkamp
Transition and Resource Coordinator
612-326-5756
MICC Programs and Terminology
MICC has five distinct programs including College, Community, Careers, and Social Engagement, and Summer. Please click here for an overview of each program.

As MICC continues to grow and make changes, please be sure to use current terminology in your CSP plans. We have observed that when old terminology is used, it causes confusion and creates issues with approval and billing. Program catalogs are a great resource to review current language and terminology that should be used.
E1MN
This Spring, MICC let all families know that an initiative from the State of Minnesota, called E1MN, has been implemented, resulting in changes to the services CDCS funding can cover in the Career Services category. Because of E1MN, MICC can no longer bill waivers for services in the Career "Find" stage of employment. This change ONLY affects College Program participants in their third year and Community Program participants. This change will not affect year 1 or 2 students in the College Program.

MICC is currently exploring the opportunity to contract with Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS). Families and this group will be provided with further information if a contract is finalized.

MICC is aware this change may cause families stress or worry. We are here to help in the planning stage and throughout the year. We are happy to work with Support Planners, review draft CDCS plan documents and budgets, and make suggestions to lessen the impact of these new restrictions to waiver funds.

As this process evolves throughout the 2022-2023 school year, we are also here to help address any questions or unexpected situations that arise along the way. Please feel free to contact Mary Jo Bellinger or Jena Kulenkamp with any questions.

Click here to learn more about E1MN.

Click here to view messaging that went to College Program third-year participants regarding changes to waiver funding due to E1MN.
MICC Billing and Financial Assistance
Billing
  • College Program Billing: MICC bills waivers monthly and on a week-by-week "cost per week” basis. For example, if a student goes on vacation for a week and does not go to any classes or receive any services, MICC only bills that month for the 3 weeks they received services versus the full 4 weeks of services offered. MICC never bills waivers for Room and Board fees. 
  • OR – For example, if a student goes on vacation for a week and does not go to any classes or receive any services, MICC would reduce the amount billed that month by the prorated cost of the 1 week that the participant was on vacation. 
  • Community Program Billing: MICC bills waivers monthly. The participants chosen Monthly Program Cost (MPC) is billed each month statically. Individualized Services are billed in 15-minute increments, and the participant is only billed for what they receive each month. MICC never bills waivers for rent and does not oversee housing for Community Program participants.
 
MICC Financial Assistance
MICC offers internal need-based Financial Assistance available to both College and Community Program participants. 
  • College Program Financial Assistance: The College Program provides need-based financial assistance with a maximum award is 50% of Program Fees for the College Program. Financial Assistance is not able to go towards Room and Board cost.
  • Community Program Financial Assistance: The Community Program has need-based Financial Assistance that participants may apply for. The Financial Assistance can only go towards the participants Monthly Program Cost (MPC) and is a maximum of $200/month. 
For questions regarding billing, please contact:
Mary Jo Bellinger
Financial Services Manager
612-876-9403

OR

Financial Services Office 
financialservices@miccommunity.org 
612.326.5951
Resources
Below you will find links to helpful documents as you write CDCS CSP plans for the 2022-2023 program year. Please contact the Financial Services Office with questions regarding these materials.
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