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Qualified Individual (QI)

In support of the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA), Qualified Individual (QI) training is available to prepare clinicians and community members to help reduce the number of children in child care institutions. QIs provide an objective and independent review of the needs and strengths of children to determine whether or not those needs can be met within their family or family foster home with community services, rather than being placed in a child care institution, known as a Qualified Residential Treatment Program (QRTP).

As a result of this two-day training, participants will be able to:

  • distinguish and explain their role and responsibility as a Qualified Individual
  • apply cultural responsiveness in the QRTP assessment process
  • partner with county and tribes, and consult with the family and permanency team members
  • administer the MN Brief Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) assessment to determine the best setting that would meet the child’s needs.

QIs will have the opportunity to ensure that a child's community and cultural strengths are fully appreciated and integrated in placement decisions, and will have a tremendous amount of autonomy in how they approach their assessment process. The hope is that these decisions can have a positive lifelong impact on youth, families, and communities, and contribute toward reduction in disparity and over-representation.

Who Can Be a Qualified Individual

Learn more about the Qualified individual role. To learn more about the FFPSA QI requirement, visit this DHS webpage and/or this helpful video on Understanding the Qualified Individual Program.

Contracted QIs must not be employed by a county or tribal social service agency, and/or connected to/or affiliated with any placing agency, placement setting or treatment facility. Minnesota received a federal waiver for some county employees to be considered. For instructions on QI waiver implementation, see Qualified Individual (QI) waiver instructions for county and Initiative tribal agencies.

Interested?

If you have questions about the QI training or want to express your interest in participating, email ffpsa.qualifiedindividual.dhs@state.mn.us.

This training was developed in collaboration with the policy expertise of the Child Safety and Permanency Division within the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), and is delivered by trainers from the Minnesota Child Welfare Training Academy (MNCWTA).