Occasionally, MOHR receives questions from members about our history and involvement with the Extended Employment program. “MOHR's commitment to Extended Employment has deep roots in the organization's history,” shares Julie Johnson, Chair of the MOHR Government Affairs Committee and long-time MOHR member. “When the predecessor provider associations MNDACA and MACRO came together to form MOHR, supporting members who provided Extended Employment was recognized as a core part of the organization's focus.”
Extended Employment (EE) is a state-funded program that funds long-term employment retention services for individuals with disabilities throughout Minnesota. “EE allows providers to be person-centered and individualized,” says Kassia Janezich, Co-Chair of the MOHR Extended Employment Providers Committee. “We are able to tailor our services to meet the needs of the person in a number of areas that impact keeping their job and advancing career goals.”
Twenty-six Extended Employment service providers operate across Minnesota. While vocational rehabilitation services are instrumental in helping people with disabilities find employment, they do not necessarily have the resources to provide long-term ongoing support. Most Extended Employment providers operate independently; however, some are exploring partnerships with other providers who don’t provide Extended Employment to expand the program’s reach and ability to provide necessary retention services.
Extended Employment provides on-the-job support which can be tailored to individual needs, including training professional skills, workplace communication, conflict resolution, and mediation. Services often include behind-the-scenes work as well. “Through Extended Employment, we can assist with things that many take for granted,” shares Janezich. For example, Extended Employment can help participants get a cell phone, coach them on writing emails to request time off, or call their employer when they're sick.
These services also extend to issues that may arise in someone’s personal life and impacts work. “Providers and the individual can discuss [the issue], work through it, or connect them with resources so it doesn’t affect their work,” shares Shelly Bormann, Chair of the MOHR Extended Employment Providers Committee.
Transportation is often a significant barrier for persons served and is another significant aspect of Extended Employment. From navigating public transport to acquiring bicycles to arranging carpooling with co-workers to supporting driver’s education, Extended Employment can help individuals establish reliable transportation to and from work.
In most cases, participant enrollment in Extended Employment is fast. Many participants have a strong initial need and then continue receiving long-term support with targeted issues; some stay involved for a short period while others are heavily involved with the program for years depending on their particular chronic disability barriers. Persons served work with their provider to ensure the length of time in services supports their needs and employment goals.
Systemic issues have limited access to EE services. New rule language eliminates individuals on Medicaid waivers from accessing extended employment services. “It is about access. It is about participant choice… The way that it is now takes away the choice of extended employment for a large number of Minnesotans with disabilities,” says Bormann.
The 2026 legislative session delivered mixed results. “Last session, we gained a lot of positive traction,” says Janezich. “We came to a compromise with DEED. We also had support from the legislature on temporarily pausing some rule language.” Unfortunately, although they secured these changes in the bill, the larger omnibus bill did not pass. The MOHR EE Provider Committee is actively targeting these unresolved issues in their 2027 legislative session priorities.
MOHR continues to support Extended Employment providers and recently introduced new avenues for collaboration with other providers. “Since [MOHR’s formation], the industry's focus on employment and related services has changed and broadened,” shared Johnson. “MOHR continues that historical commitment through its Extended Employment Providers Committee while also expanding its focus through a Government Affairs Committee Employment Subcommittee that addresses a broader range of state-funded and waiver-funded employment supports that help people with disabilities obtain, maintain, and advance employment options.”
“The new Employment Subcommittee further bridges EE and waivered services in the larger MOHR membership,” says Janezich. “There are more discussions about the advocacy work that is needed and partnership efforts that are needed to reduce barriers that providers are seeing with vocational rehab services.”
This unity and collaboration among providers across Minnesota reflect MOHR's mission. “MOHR gives EE providers who don’t do waiver services a united voice with agencies serving persons with disabilities,” says Bormann. “That’s what is most important: advocacy across the board… it is all of us together advocating for the persons we serve.”
