Behavior intervention reporting forms that report employee injury

From 2019 through 2023, service providers submitted 3,339 behavior intervention reporting forms (BIRFs) to DHS that reported employee/staff injuries. The total number of BIRFs submitted during that timeframe is 22,516. The number of reports with employee/staff injuries range from 565 to 793 per year.

Reported injuries include scrapes, bruises, bite wounds, blunt force trauma, cuts, head trauma, sprains, choking, muscle tears, gunshot wounds, poisoning and more.

Context
Contributing factors
Data

Who submits forms

These forms must be submitted by providers licensed under Minn. Stat. 245D, as well as some limited Minn. Stat. 245A providers, for incidents listed under Minn. R. 9544.0110, which includes but is not limited to behavioral incidents that result in a call to 911 or an emergency use of manual restraint applied to a person receiving support. Most of these providers may only use restraint when necessary to protect a person or others from imminent risk of physical harm (one example of an exception to this rule is the use of handcuffs when transferring a person who has been committed to a secure facility).

What this does not include

Not all incidents are reported on the BIRF form. For example, this count does not include maltreatment, death or serious injury reporting forms submitted to the state, though there may be some overlap in data from those forms since providers sometimes have to submit multiple forms to report one incident. This also does not include incidents where a staff member is injured on the job but there is no reportable situation (such as an injury to a person receiving services) for which statute or rule requires notification.

What happens when a BIRF is submitted

DHS representatives review BIRFs and provide technical assistance to service providers as needed to help to reduce incidents. Providers sometimes also receive assistance from other providers that specialize in behavior supports or other areas of need.
Behavior is influenced by many factors, such as:
- Environmental factors such as temperature, lack of open space, access to nature, uncomfortable clothing, etc.
- Social factors such as interactions with caregivers, family members, friends, coworkers, strangers, etc.
- Biological factors such as disease, medical conditions, pain, hunger, lack of exercise, lack of sleep, etc.
- Psychological factors such as mental health conditions, seizures, substance abuse or addiction, etc.
- Quality of life factors such as not having enough money to do the things a person wants, not reaching a career goal, etc.
It is important to recognize that one human cannot fully control the behavior of another human, even if they can sometimes influence behaviors. Incidents are typically a result of many factors, many of which are outside the control of employees/staff. The data on this webpage should not be construed to blame staff or the people receiving supports for incidents, as every person’s situation is unique and complex.