CRS Openings in Minneapolis & Twin Cities

The Twin Cities metro has the highest concentration of CRS providers in Minnesota — but also the highest demand. If you're a case manager searching for CRS openings in the metro, here's how to navigate the landscape effectively.

The Metro CRS Landscape

The seven-county metro area — Hennepin, Ramsey, Dakota, Anoka, Washington, Scott, and Carver — accounts for the majority of Minnesota's 245D residential programs. Most large CRS organizations operate multiple homes across several metro counties, which means a provider based in Hennepin County may have openings in their Dakota or Anoka homes.

Despite the density of providers, openings are competitive. Metro CRS programs tend to fill quickly because:

• The metro population drives high demand across all disability categories
• Hospital discharge planners and multiple case managers are often pursuing the same beds
• Providers with strong reputations maintain waitlists months long

County-by-County Tips

Hennepin County

Hennepin has the most CRS homes in the state, particularly in Minneapolis, Brooklyn Park, and the western suburbs. The volume is an advantage, but navigating the sheer number of providers can be overwhelming. Focus your search on providers who specialize in your client's specific needs — behavioral health, brain injury, developmental disabilities — rather than calling every program.

Ramsey County

Ramsey County CRS providers cluster in St. Paul, Maplewood, and Roseville. If you're searching Ramsey and not finding openings, expand into adjacent Washington County or northern Dakota County. Many clients served through Ramsey County's system live in homes just across county lines.

Dakota County

Dakota tends to have slightly less competition for beds than Hennepin or Ramsey, with CRS homes spread across Burnsville, Apple Valley, Eagan, and Lakeville. It's worth checking even if your client is Hennepin- or Ramsey-based — the commute is manageable and the homes are often newer construction.

Anoka County

Anoka — including Blaine, Coon Rapids, and Fridley — has a solid base of CRS providers and can be overlooked by case managers focused on Minneapolis and St. Paul. If your client's day program or employment is in the north metro, Anoka County is a natural fit.

Washington and Scott Counties

These outer-ring counties have fewer CRS homes but also less competition. For clients who don't need to be centrally located for appointments or programming, expanding to Washington County (Woodbury, Stillwater) or Scott County (Shakopee, Prior Lake, Savage) can uncover openings that metro-focused case managers miss.

Strategies That Work

Search Multiple Counties Simultaneously

Don't limit yourself to the county where your client currently lives. CRS placement doesn't require county-of-residence matching — a Hennepin County client can live in a Dakota County CRS home. Search the full metro footprint from the start.

Contact Provider Organizations, Not Just Individual Homes

Large CRS organizations operate 10, 20, or even 50+ homes across the metro. When you call, ask about availability across all their locations. A provider may have no openings in Minneapolis but two beds open in Anoka.

Get Specific About Your Client's Needs

When you contact a provider, lead with the clinical picture: diagnosis, behavioral profile, staffing needs, waiver type. Providers fill beds based on fit — a client who matches their program model moves up the priority list. Vague referrals end up in the "we'll review it" pile.

Time Your Search

New openings appear most frequently at the beginning and end of each month as residents transition. If you're not finding anything mid-month, use that time to prepare referral packets so you're ready to move fast when a bed opens.

Finding Openings Faster

Calling 20 providers and waiting for callbacks is the old way. Capacity Track shows CRS openings when claimed providers update across the Twin Cities metro and all of Minnesota. Filter by county, see which homes have reported open beds, and go straight to the referral instead of the search. Start with CRS openings in Hennepin County, Ramsey, Dakota, and Anoka — or browse all CRS openings in Minnesota.