Information for Our Contracted Community Partners

Overview

Our community partners enable us to provide blind, DeafBlind, and low vision Minnesotans with the skills they need to live, work and succeed.

Requirements
Communication
Data Practices
Documents
Senior Services
Employment Services

Instructor Requirements

Requirements for Qualified Rehabilitation Teachers, Braille Instructors and Orientation and Mobility Instructors

SSB has developed standards for Adjustment To Blindness instructors to ensure quality training to its customers.
Requirements for Assistive Technology Instructors

SSB has developed standards for Assistive Technology (AT) instructors to ensure that customers receive high quality training.
- Certification Request for New Assistive Technology Instructors
- Adult Learning Course
Communication

Community Partners Updates

SSB will post updates received from our community partners to our website with information on your services during this time.

You may be rolling out new programs, conducting virtual trainings, re-opening and accepting new clients, and/or instituting new measures to ensure safety. Send us a brief description – a paragraph or so – with any news or information that would be important for our customers and SSB staff to know.

SSB has received several updates from community partners in the past few months and having a centralized location will be beneficial to everyone.

All community partners updates can be submitted to Jennifer.Beilke@state.mn.us.

Please note that we may need to edit for space considerations. We will continue to update this page as long as it is needed in these unusual times.
- August 17, 2020
- Choice, Unlimited in Action - Summer 2020
Community Partners Forums

Usually held twice yearly, are designed to provide an opportunity for SSB and community partners to get together to discuss contract issues, community partner monitoring findings, provide training on topics and give community partners a chance to offer feedback on SSB. Our goal is to ensure good communication between SSB and our community partners n order to provide the best service to Minnesotans who are blind or visually impaired.
- Pre-ETS Community Partners Forum February 8, 2022
- October 2021 Forum
Data Practices

SSB Data Practices Training Powerpoint

Data Practices Information Data (for an accessible version of this document, please contact Jennifer Beilke at 651-539-2273)
Documents

Manuals
- State Services for the Blind Community Partners Manual
Instructional Memos
Forms
- Workforce and Equal Pay Declaration
Final Rate-Setting, Master Contract and Monitoring Documents

Rate-Setting
- Policies Governing Rate-Setting
- Rates
- Commissioner’s Plan Chapter 15 Expense Reimbursement (view the entire Commissioner’s Plan)
- Respectful Workplace Policy
Master Contracts

The Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), State Services for the Blind (SSB) requests applications to provide Adjustment To Blindness (ATB) and other rehabilitation training, employment-related services, and pre-employment transition services (Pre-ETS) to applicants and eligible blind, visually impaired and DeafBlind customers (Applications).
- Current Requests for Proposals can be found on DEED's Competitive Grants and Contracts page.
Monitoring
Criminal Background Check
- Criminal Background Check document
Assistive Technology
Miscellaneous Information
Senior Services Unit

Ed Lecher
SSU Program Director
651-539-2324
St. Paul

Rose Eastman
SSU Support Staff
651-539-2331
St. Paul
Workforce Development Unit

Jon Benson
Deputy Director
651-539-2332
St. Paul

Lindsey Hanson
WDU Supervisor
651-539-2340
St. Paul

Angela Kraninger
WDU Supervisor
651-539-2342
St. Paul

Sara Kreiling
WDU Supervisor
St. Paul

Courtney Wanek
WDU Supervisor
651-539-2355
St. Paul

Laura Windey
WDU Support Staff
651-539-2358
St. Paul

Pre-ETS

Sheila Koenig
Pre-ETS Department Supervisor
651-539-2361
St. Paul

BEP

John Hulet
BEP Supervisor
651-539-2284
St. Paul

Kara Martin
BEP Support Staff
651-539-2385
St. Paul