For people starting with an IHS provider
How can we prepare for the first IHS support visit?
Confirm that the visit is agreed, then prepare a short introduction to the person’s chosen routine and preferences. Settle arrival, contact and access details in advance. The first visit should start from the current agreed plan, with a clear way to raise questions or correct misunderstandings.
Separate a visit from an intake conversation
Ask whether the appointment is an introduction, planning meeting or scheduled service visit. Confirm who is attending and what is expected to happen. A friendly introductory call does not itself establish that services are ready to start.
Review the arrangements with the person. Ask what they would like to explain themselves and whether they want someone else present. Share practical access details through the agreed contact channel rather than placing them in a public or broadly shared document.
Introduce the routine without taking over
Bring one short routine description and the person’s communication preferences. Let them show what already works before others supply explanations. Ask the worker how questions about tasks or timing should be handled during the visit.
If a request does not match what the worker has been told, pause to clarify with the responsible contact. Do not use the first visit to informally expand an agreed service beyond what has been confirmed.
Plan the first follow-up
Choose a way for the person to say what felt useful, uncomfortable or unclear. Keep their feedback separate from the family’s observations so both remain visible. Ask who receives that feedback and how an agreed change will reach the next worker. Use Minnesota’s IHS policy for service questions that the team needs to resolve.
First-visit preparation note
Download this editable worksheet, add your notes, and bring it to the relevant planning conversation. Leave unknown details blank and identify who can confirm them.
Download worksheet (.txt)- Appointment purpose
- Is this an introduction, planning conversation or confirmed service visit?
- Arrival agreement
- Who is coming, at what time, and who should be contacted about a change?
- Person’s introduction
- What do they want the worker to know, and what do they want to explain themselves?
- Routine and boundaries
- Which activity is agreed, and which requests still need clarification?
- Follow-up
- How will the person share feedback, and who will act on it?
An optional discussion tool, not an official assessment, authorization, service plan, or emergency plan. Keep completed copies private and share through an agreed channel.
Illustrative planning example
A person wants to show a new worker their usual afternoon routine. Their sibling writes a long history, but the person chooses a short introduction and asks the sibling to join only for the final questions. That preference becomes part of the visit discussion.
This example is invented to explain the worksheet; it is not a client story or a promised outcome.
Your next step
Confirm the visit details with the provider and keep the coordination contact easy to find. Bring unresolved service questions back to the case manager.
For a conversation with Clemens Health about your Twin Cities location, call (651) 354-1196 or send a referral. Service fit, authorization, and staffing need to be confirmed.
Minnesota resources
State resources explain program rules. The worksheet and examples are Clemens Health planning aids. Links were checked October 5, 2026; follow the current state guidance for eligibility and service questions.