E1MN Partnership Minnesota: How Interagency Coordination Works for Transition

Three Agencies, One Student, No Shared Inbox

Minnesota's transition system splits responsibility for young adults with disabilities across three state agencies that do not automatically share information with each other:

• Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and local school districts handle special education services through the IEP
• Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) runs Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS), State Services for the Blind (SSB), and Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS)
• Department of Human Services (DHS) oversees county-administered Medicaid waivers, MnCHOICES assessments, and long-term support programs

The E1MN partnership exists to coordinate these three systems during transition. Without it, families are left making separate phone calls to separate agencies, repeating intake paperwork, and hoping that the school's transition plan aligns with what VRS and county services actually provide.

What E1MN Actually Does

E1MN (short for "Employment First Minnesota" or simply the state's interagency agreement framework) is a formal coordination agreement between MDE, DEED, and DHS. Its operational purpose is to reduce the gaps between school-based transition services and the adult employment and support systems that take over when the student exits the education system.

In practice, E1MN influences transition at three levels:

Statewide policy alignment. The partnership sets shared expectations for how schools, VRS offices, and county agencies should coordinate transition referrals and share information (with appropriate consent).

Regional coordination. E1MN facilitates local interagency teams — groups of school transition specialists, VRS counselors, and county case managers who meet regularly to discuss transition-aged students in their area and streamline referrals.

Individual student referrals. The E1MN Common Referral Form is a standardized document that professionals can use to support a referral to VRS or SSB. It is not a required form and does not replace each agency's intake or eligibility process.

The Common Referral Form

The E1MN common referral form collects information that can help VRS/SSB process a referral — participant information, disability documentation, transition goals from the IEP, and service needs — in one document.

In practice, a referring professional may complete the form with the student and family and send it to the relevant VRS/SSB office. The family should confirm receipt and ask what additional intake steps are required.

In practice, the form's usefulness depends heavily on whether your school district actively participates in E1MN coordination. Metro-area districts with dedicated transition specialists tend to use the form routinely. Smaller or rural districts may not use it at all, defaulting to ad hoc referrals.

What Families Should Know

• The form requires consent. The school cannot share your child's information with VRS, SSB, or county services without written consent from the parent (or the student, if transfer of rights has occurred). The referral should be discussed with the family before information is shared, and the required consent should be obtained.

• The referral doesn't guarantee services. Being referred through E1MN doesn't bypass eligibility requirements. VRS has its own Order of Selection system with a waiting list for Priority Categories 2-4. County waivers require a MnCHOICES assessment that evaluates institutional-level-of-care needs independently of IEP eligibility.

• You can request the referral. If the school hasn't initiated E1MN coordination by the time your child is in 11th grade, ask the IEP team to do so. Put the request in writing and ask for confirmation that the common referral form has been submitted.

When Interagency Coordination Breaks Down

The most common failure mode is what transition specialists call the "empty referral." The IEP documents a student's intent to work with VRS or apply for county services, but no one actually submits the paperwork. The agencies are listed on the IEP as transition partners, but there's no active case file.

This matters because the timing of these referrals is critical:

• VRS referral should happen approximately two years before the expected graduation or exit date. Students in Priority Category 1 (most significant disabilities) get immediate service; everyone else hits the waiting list.
• MnCHOICES assessment should be requested from county human services as the student approaches age 18, regardless of whether the school has initiated it.
• SSI application. If the young adult applies after turning 18, SSA evaluates eligibility using the young adult's own income and assets — the school system has nothing to do with this.

If you've been told at an IEP meeting that "VRS has been contacted" or "we're working with the county," ask for documentation: Who specifically was contacted? When? What was the response? Is there a case file number?

How to Make the System Work

The families who get the best outcomes from Minnesota's interagency system are the ones who treat the IEP meeting as the coordination hub:

1. Invite agency representatives directly. If an agency is likely to provide or pay for transition services, you can request that its representative attend the IEP meeting. With your consent, the school must invite that representative, and the meeting should be scheduled at a time the agency representative can attend.

2. Document agency commitments in the IEP. The transition services grid in the IEP should name each agency responsible for specific services — not generically, but with the name and contact information of the assigned professional.

3. Follow up independently. Don't rely solely on the school to maintain agency relationships. Contact VRS, SSB, and your county human services office directly to confirm that referrals are active and moving.

The Minnesota IEP Transition to Adulthood Guide includes an agency communication log and referral tracking worksheet designed specifically for managing these multi-agency handoffs.

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