Employment Development Services (EDS) are “individualized” services designed to help a person achieve competitive, integrated employment, become self-employed or establish a microenterprise business in their community. EDS are provided under BI, CAC, CADI or DD waiver services.
Employment Development Services may include:
- Individualized, strengths-based assessments and employment opportunity discovery strategies (this phase should not exceed 120 days of service delivery)
- Support during new employee orientation (up to 30 days) after a person starts a new job position
- In-service transportation
- Skills training to find and keep a job (e.g., resume writing, interviewing, using community resources, etc.)
- Progress review and reporting meetings
These EDS do not require direct contact with the person:
- Employment search assistance and support
- Benefits fact-gathering, review and analysis to determine how individual benefits will be affected by employment
- Help with negotiating and finalizing terms of employment
- Development of job applications, resume and cover letters
- Outreach with community businesses about available employment opportunities
- Self-employment and microenterprise business development services
Self-employment and microenterprise business development services that do require direct contact with the person may include:
- Help with determining the type of business the person wants to establish
- Consultation with the person about all business development activities and plans
- Help with choosing and registering an available and marketable business name
- In-service transportation
- Progress review and reporting meetings
Self-employment and microenterprise business development services that do not require direct contact, but may include collaborating with the person to:
- Write a business plan
- Find sources of start-up financing
- Establish a legal structure for the business
- Create a marketing and sales plan
- Find a location and get the appropriate certifications, licenses, permits and variances
- Purchase all necessary insurances
- Develop business forms, records, bookkeeping and accounting systems
- Perform benefit(s) fact gathering, review and analysis to determine how benefits will interact with self-employment.
Employment Development Services are time-limited and typically end 12 months following the initial authorization of the services. In some circumstances, however, a person might need to receive continued employment development services.
Their “lead agency” may reauthorize employment development services when the person:
- Has a verifiable change in employment (e.g., the person lost his/her employment, faces reduced hours or wants to seek other employment opportunities)
- Experiences a debilitating health condition or life event that significantly interrupts service delivery
- Changes service providers
For more information about EDS including eligibility, please visit the MN Department of Human Services website or contact your county case manager.
Without this company we wouldn’t be making anything.” – Rhonda
