1. (1) MCEs and the Authority shall ensure that all contracted HRSN Service Providers meet both the general qualifications described in (2)(a-j) below and the domain and service-specific qualifications described in (3) – (6) below necessary for providing the HRSN Services for which they have contracted.

2. (2) General HRSN Service Provider Qualifications: All contracted HRSN Service Providers must:

   1. (a) Maintain an active business registration with the Oregon Secretary of State, except for governmental entities.
   2. (b) Be accessible to Members, including having the operating hours and the staff necessary to meet the Members’ needs.
   3. (c) Demonstrate their ability or experience to effectively serve at least one of the Authority’s Priority Populations (defined in ORS 413.256).
   4. (d) Demonstrate they employ or contract with administrative and service delivery staff, who are, as reasonably determined by the MCE or the Authority qualified to perform and fulfill the responsibilities of their jobs.

   5. (e) Demonstrate they provide professional, culturally and linguistically appropriate, responsive and trauma-informed services, which includes the ability to:

      1. (A) Supply language interpretation and translation services to those Members who have limited English proficiency, and American Sign Language (ASL) services for to those Members who require ASL in order to communicate; and
      2. (B) Respond to the cultural needs of the diverse populations they serve by performing services in accordance with National CLAS Standards.
   6. (f) Provide documentation that demonstrates a history of responsible financial administration via recent annual financial reports, an externally conducted audit, or other similar documentation.

   7. (g) Meet readiness standards defined by the Authority in this rule below. Compliance with readiness standards may be made by attestation or including in the HRSN Service Provider contracts their agreement and ability to comply with all of the following:

      1. (A) Reporting and oversight requirements established by the Authority or the MCE or, as applicable, both;
      2. (B) All laws relating to information privacy and security applicable to their business;
      3. (C) Compliance with the credentialing obligations described in OAR 410-141-3510;
      4. (D) All obligations related to participating in the Closed Loop Referral process (documented status of referrals and services ); and
      5. (E) Invoicing for HRSN Services as agreed upon in their contract with the MCE and as applicable, the Authority, to provide HRSN Services.
   8. (h) Be enrolled as a Medicaid HRSN Service Provider as required under OAR 410-120-1260.
   9. (i) Not be delegated any responsibility for HRSN Service authorization or Service Planning.
3. (3) MCEs have the right to, but are not obligated to, require HRSN Service Providers to use technology (e.g., CIE) to conduct Closed Loop Referrals for HRSN Services. If an MCE chooses to require the use of CIE, MCEs must permit HRSN Service Providers to request an exception from the MCE based on inability to participate and available supports are insufficient.

4. (4) HRSN Housing Service Provider Qualifications: In addition to ensuring compliance with the requirements set out in section (2) of this rule, MCEs and, as applicable, the Authority shall ensure that HRSN Service Providers providing Housing-Related Supports meet the following domain and service-specific provider qualifications as set forth in the HRSN Housing Specific Provider Qualifications Table 1, which is included in this rule. All HRSN Housing Related Support Service Providers must:

   1. (a) Have knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures of the HRSN Housing-Related Supports described in OAR 410-120-2005 in Table 4, or comparable services, that are relevant for the HRSN Services they have been contracted to provide.
   2. (b) Be trained and credentialed, if applicable, to provide the specific HRSN Housing-Related Supports Service they have contracted to provide. MCEs and the Authority have the right, based on their reasonable discretion, to determine the appropriate level of training or licensure required for each HRSN Service Provider with which they contract.
   3. (c) For HRSN Home Changes for Health Service Provider Qualifications, it is preferred that MCEs contract with HRSN Service Providers providing Home Changes for Health that are capable of both delivering and installing the devices described in OAR 410-120-2005 Table 4, Column (a). In the event an HRSN Service provider does not provide installation services, MCEs must ensure installation services are also performed by a different, qualified HRSN Service Provider or HRSN Service Vendor(s).

5. (5) HRSN Nutrition Service Provider Qualifications: In addition to ensuring compliance with the requirements set out in section (2) of this rule, MCEs and, as applicable, the Authority shall further ensure that HRSN Service Providers providing Nutrition-Related Supports meet the domain and service-specific provider qualifications identified in Table 2 included in this rule. All HRSN Nutrition Related Supports Service Providers must:

   1. (a) Have knowledge of principles, methods and procedures of the HRSN Nutrition-Related Supports described in OAR 410-120-2005 in Table 6, or comparable services, that are relevant for the HRSN Services they have been contracted to provide, which includes meeting the HRSN Authorized Members’ nutritional needs.
   2. (b) Comply with best practice guidelines, industry standards, and all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing food safety standards.

   3. (c) Be trained and accredited, to the extent appropriate or required (or both) based on the applicable nutrition industry standard, to provide the specific service. MCEs and the Authority have the right, based on their reasonable discretion, to determine the appropriate level of training or licensure required for each contracted provider of a HRSN nutrition service, as long as they ensure providers are contractually required to act in accordance with nutrition-related national guidelines, such as the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, or evidence-based practice guidelines for specific chronic diseases and conditions. Depending on the specific service being provided, appropriate training and credentialing may entail:

      1. (A) Relevant training(s) (e.g., webinar courses provided by SNAP-Ed, CDC-approved training for the National Diabetes Prevention Program Lifestyle Coach position, or other trainings from accredited nutrition organizations); or
      2. (B) Certification (e.g., Certified Nutrition & Wellness Educator by the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences); or
      3. (C) Licensure (e.g., licensed dietitian).
   4. (d) Have the ability to meet the diverse needs of HRSN Authorized Member’s personal and cultural dietary preferences.
   5. (e) Have the capacity to provide services on a one-time, daily, weekly, biweekly or monthly basis, depending on the specific service’s permitted frequency and Member’s preference.

6. (6) HRSN Outreach and Engagement Service Provider Qualifications. In addition to ensuring compliance with the requirements set out in section (2) of this rule, MCEs and, as applicable, the Authority, must further ensure that all HRSN Outreach and Engagement Service Providers meet the following domain specific qualifications:

   1. (a) Have knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures of the HRSN Outreach and Engagement services, or comparable services for which they have contracted, which includes, connecting HRSN-Authorized Members to benefits and services other than HRSN Services.
   2. (b) Have the capacity to carry out the responsibilities outlined in the HRSN Outreach and Engagement service descriptions in Table 7 in OAR 410-120-2005. MCEs and the Authority shall have the right, using their reasonable discretion, to determine whether an HRSN Service Provider has the skills, education, or experience to necessary for providing HRSN Outreach and Engagement Services.

   3. (c) Have experience, training, or knowledge of all of the following:

      1. (A) Cultural specificity and responsiveness approaches;
      2. (B) Community outreach and engagement best practices;
      3. (C) Basic eligibility and enrollment policies and practices for OHP, the HRSN program, and federal and state entitlements and benefits including SNAP, WIC, TANF, Social Security, Social Security Disability, and Veterans Affairs benefits, and federal and state housing programs;
      4. (D) Local community resources for supporting basic needs such as access to shower, laundry, shelter, and food;
      5. (E) Excellent oral communication skills with the ability to explain complex information to individuals—including those in the Authority’s HRSN Priority Populations — in an understandable, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive way; and

      6. (F) Ability to maintain strict confidentiality and handle sensitive information appropriately.

         [ED. NOTE: To view attachments referenced in rule text, click here for PDF copy.]

Statutory/Other Authority

ORS 413.042

Statutes/Other Implemented

ORS 414.572, 414.605, 414.665, 414.719 & 414.632

History

DMAP 97-2025, amend filed 12/29/2025, effective 01/01/2026
DMAP 42-2025, amend filed 04/29/2025, effective 05/01/2025
DMAP 28-2025, temporary amend filed 02/12/2025, effective 02/14/2025 through 06/29/2025
DMAP 130-2024, adopt filed 10/24/2024, effective 11/01/2024