Economic Support team highlights client successes while county funding and reimbursement face uncertainty

Jessica Lindstrom (Economic Support manager) presented “bright spots” from the Great Rivers Consortium’s economic support team and summarized program outputs and finances during the Aug. 21 meeting. The consortium serves 10 counties; Jessica said Great Rivers processed just over 44,000 new applications for public benefits in 2024, averaging about 3,700 applications per month across the consortium. She said Dunn County residents received more than $7 million in FoodShare benefits in 2024.

Jessica described staff work as fast-paced, episodic and critical for residents in crisis (homelessness, incarceration, job loss, medical need, eldercare). She read several verbatim caller thank-you notes and case examples illustrating how benefits stabilized households: a caller who began receiving workers’ compensation after nearly a year and called to thank staff; a caregiver who avoided asking an elderly parent for a loan after FoodShare assistance; and a client whose benefit continuity preserved therapy access.

Paula and KT (health director) then presented the program’s finances and funding structure. They reported the consortium’s total 2024 economic support spending at about $1.3–$1.4 million, the majority for staff. The county provides a portion of the local match — about $297,102 was cited for Dunn County — and the state-designated maintenance-of-effort (MOE) obligation was described as $363,800; some local matching is covered from other departmental allocations (AMSO and indirect cost shares). Paula said counties receive indirect and administrative reimbursements that historically offset a large portion of shared costs.

A major policy risk flagged by staff is a statewide change that reduces counties’ ability to bill certain Medicaid administrative and indirect costs: the department had budgeted assuming billing at 50%, but the state’s biennial actions cut that claimed rate toward 25% effective in July 2025. Paula and Jessica said the 2026 draft budget still assumed 50% because state replacement policy was unclear at the time the draft was prepared; they warned the reduction could represent a substantial net funding loss and said they were monitoring statewide associations and pending guidance.

Board members asked for comparative data and transparency about staffing. Paula provided a table of the 10-county consortium makeup, noting Eau Claire is the lead county and has more staff; Dunn’s staff and program scale are roughly comparable to other counties of similar size. Board members requested additional finance comparisons and asked staff to keep the committee informed as state policy unfolds.

No formal action was taken; the presentation was informational. Staff reiterated the department will update the board as grant awards, state guidance and reimbursement assumptions change.

Quoted material in this article is taken from the meeting transcript of the Dunn County Health and Human Services Board, Aug. 21, 2025.