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McLeod County approves mobile crisis services contract with Canvas Health
Summary
The county board approved a contract with Canvas Health to provide mobile mental health crisis services; partial telephone triage begins April 1, 2025 via First Call for Help with full mobile service targeted by Oct. 1, 2025.
McLeod County Commissioners approved a contract with Canvas Health to serve as fiscal agent and provide mobile mental health crisis services for adults and children in the county for the period beginning April 1, 2025 through December 1, 2026 (county staff noted a typographical error in the contract dates and described it as a one-and-a-half-year agreement).
Under the agreement Canvas Health will provide telephonic crisis triage, intervention and safety/welfare checks, consultation with community professionals, referrals, community-based critical-incident stress management and development of a mobile crisis response service in McLeod County. First Call for Help, a partner that contracts with Canvas Health, will begin handling telephone crisis triage on April 1, 2025 as the county transitions from its prior provider; Canvas Health expects a six-month ramp-up to reach full mobile crisis capacity and indicated an on-target date of Oct. 1, 2025, while acknowledging the ramp-up timeline is subject to hiring and training.
County staff gave cost estimates from the contract: $180,663 for the April 1–Dec. 31, 2025 period and $348,300 for the full calendar year 2026. Staff said the county has budgeted funds from its individual and family social services budget and expects additional allocations through the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) and support from the Southwest Minnesota Adult Mental Health Consortium (Southwest 18) to cover the county’s share.
Commissioners asked about the ramp-up, continuity of phone service and the county’s ability to terminate or renegotiate the arrangement if needed. Staff said the same phone number will remain active and calls will be answered by First Call for Help during ramp-up; deputies will be able to call mobile crisis as they did before. Staff and the DHS unit that oversees mobile crisis were reported to be aware of the transition and supportive of a phased ramp-up.
Motion and vote: Commissioner Schmalz moved to approve the contract; Commissioner Krueger seconded. The motion carried by voice vote.
County staff said Canvas Health offered to present a service report to the board at the end of the year or start of next year and the county expects to take up that offer.
