Monthly Archives: March 2026

Alright – so, Rep Hicks, who represents parts of Rochester with tons of black and brown folks and is a DHS employee when she is not making laws for her employer had a bill today about CFSS. This is the state benefit that replaced consumer support grant and personal care assistant services.

What was interesting was how feisty and mad Hicks got when God forbid other legislators had questions and concerns. Gee, I wonder where I saw that before. Oh yeah, her role at DHS EIDBI policy lead where she would silence, dismiss and retaliate anyone including autism parents who had questions or disagreed with her often crappy ideas. She also said something else of why there is so much fraud because there were no guardrails. Excuse me and what now?

Do you remember how she and the other EIDBI person (Nicole) would solicit kazilian black and brown EIDBI providers especially from the Somali community. They would encourage people who had no idea how to even spell autism to open agencies. Then when those people started making mistakes, they blamed them. It is like the parents having no house rules for their children then blaming the kids for living with no rule. The audacity of her unbelievable.

DHS under Hicks refused to provide training for EIDBI families and agencies is now blaming everyone else except herself. The privileged is astounding. Rep. Hicks – you are the problem, not the solution in EIDBI wrongs which only hurts children with autism and their families. Blame yourself and take some responsibility for once. Hicks said the legislator should control and have better oversight for anyone using Medicaid funds. Now, after you have destroyed our autism community, you want to have oversight. Does that include family trainings, not approving staff who have not completed their required trainings, not retaliating against autism families who disagree with you, and my favorite – MCO oversight which you refused to address. Honestly, I wanted to throw up listening to her double standard. How typical DFLer superior morality.

At any rate, below is my testimony. Oh, let me add. Rep. Noor who knows policy, and is actually very smart selectively said nada how in-cohesive and shit CFSS is for everyone and how again DHS is refusing to train families and agencies.

How lovely Noor. Ma sawir la daawanayo ayaad tahay, hadii aanad dadkaaga u hadlin.

Minnesota House of Representatives

Human Services Finance & Policy Committee

Chairs: Rep. Noor & Rep. Schomacker

March 10, 2026

Re: HF 3780 CFSS

Dear Mr. Chair and Members, many thanks for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Idil Abdull, I have a 23-year-old son who was diagnosed with profound autism when he was 3 ½ years old. I am also trying to retire autism policy advocate.

As you know, the idea and intentions were good for community first services and supports, (CFSS). It replaced consumer support grant (CSG) and personal care assistant (PCA) services. The goal was to make it more person-centered for the recipient and the family. However, the rollout was nothing short of a disaster for families, counties, and providers. There are no clear guidelines between the agency and budget model. There are no timeframes for how long the consultation specialist finishes the plan and so many more problems.

The state Medicaid agency as usual has not done a good job in offering training to families, counties, and providers. Most if not all counties are confused on what is allowed and what is not allowed especially for individuals with developmental disabilities such as autism. The state Medicaid agency’s website mentions couple of things such as grab bars and devices to support someone with dressing which are both for people with physical disabilities.

While I appreciate Rep. Hicks current language on this bill about shared services when it is more than one person getting the services, this is not the case for people who have more profound needs. I do not think it goes far enough. The CFSS needs a complete overhaul that addresses the needs of people with autism and other developmental disabilities.

I also ask legislators to task the state Medicaid agency to train counties, families, and providers to ensure everyone is doing what they are supposed to do.

Sincerely,

Idil Abdull – Autism Mom & Retired Advocate

As usual, the above words do not reflect any candidate, agency, or committee.

Idil  Abdull – Somali Autism Mom & Retired Advocate

Alright – so, I am sooo tired of counties and how difficult most of them are towards autism families. Can you believe we started with Hennepin County almost two decades ago. Margaret K was the MN House speaker and Commissioner Gail Dorfman. It was the first county with so many diversity yet soooo difficult to deal with. Can you believe that almost all of the people with advocated with have retired, nada has changed.

This is what they mean by systems problem. You can bring a new Jane and Jack but if the system is the same nothing changes. While Hennepin is not the worst, Dakota is. Hennepin is close second. Their assessors will write whatever they think your child’s needs are without care about your input and actual information. They refuse to follow any person-centered policies. Informed choices and providing available services to families – no siree bob. Ugh.

The amount of money and energy they spend fighting the families they were hired to help is unbelievable. Majority of them are rude, cruel, heartless, and arrogant towards autism families. Even though there are commissioners who reflect some of the communities in the county, the system is as cold as Alaska, as salty as an ocean and as aloof as Hollywood diva.

I ask the county commissioners to change the system from within to be more fair, less combative towards autism families and more inclusive towards the people they are supposed to serve.

The above words do not reflect any candidate, agency, or committee.

Idil Abdull – Autism Mom & Retired Advocate