Advocate

Use your voice

The Challenge:

Achieve Services continues to face legislative actions that threaten the services we provide and could be harmful to our participants’ well-being. Specifically, we consistently fight for higher reimbursement rates so we can pay our staff livable wages. And, we are battling to keep special minimum wage jobs for participants. You are able to make a difference by actively contacting your elected officials to share your story and advocate for the people with disabilities in your life.

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How can you help?

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    Join A-Team MN and the Best Life Alliance

    This is the best way to stay up to date about legislative agendas and calls to action.

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    Contact your legislator

    Visit the Minnesota District Search and enter your address and zip code to find out which representatives serve your district.

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    Contact the Department of Human Services

    This agency is responsible for many of the policies that affect programs for people with disabilities. You can contact them by visiting their official website or sending an e-mail to [email protected].

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    Follow us and share our posts on Facebook

    We will post urgent action alerts on our Facebook page for you to take action and share these action items with people in your network. The more people who take action, the more likely we are to make a difference!

Issues that directly impact us:

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    Competitive Wages for Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) and the Disability Waiver Rate System (DWRS)

    The DWRS also sets the wages and benefits we are able to offer the DSPs who provide care for participants while they are at Achieve. Increasing the DWRS rates ensure that we are able to remain fully staffed with qualified people and able to pay our DSPs a decent wage for the important work they do. 

    What you can say: "Help address our workforce crisis by increasing the DWRS rates!"

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    Threats to Center-Based Employment

    Employment enables our participants to develop skills, make friends, increase their income, and improve their quality of life. Some participants cannot, or choose not to, engage in competitive, integrated employment. Participants with higher needs often choose to work in a safe, supportive environment at Achieve. We want to preserve participants’ choice to do center-based work, with wages based on productivity. 

    What you can say: "Do not eliminate the opportunity to engage in special minimum wage work!"

*Great news about 14c; Thank Legislators*

Legislative Update:  We are pleased to announce that the legislature adjourned WITHOUT taking action to eliminate 14c jobs. Thanks to the compelling input and stories from parents and families, and the heroic efforts of Sen. John Hoffman, efforts to eliminate special minimum wage work failed. To everyone who called, wrote, or emailed your legislators on this issue: THANK YOU! Your voices were heard! Please see the A-Team piece below for more information,  and we’d encourage you to follow-up and THANK your legislators for their support on this important issue.  In the meantime, enjoy the VICTORY!

A- Team MN 14c Info and How to Thank Legislators

Parents Meeting Materials 5/8/2024

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