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County highlights Yellow Line screening gains, rising caseloads and staffing limits
Summary
Blue Earth County's Yellow Line Project reduced recidivism by 17% in evaluations staff shared on July 22; staff said screenings and warm connections drove the improvement, but caseworker capacity has tightened and average caseloads per full-time equivalent rose to 13.67.
Blue Earth County Human Services on July 22 presented its annual Yellow Line Project evaluation, reporting a 17% reduction in recidivism tied primarily to increased screening and ‘warm’ connections with individuals, while warning that staffing shortages have pushed caseloads above target levels.
Angie said county and Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) analysis showed that the act of offering a screening and making a warm connection — staff asking about chemical and mental health needs and completing the screening — produced the largest decrease in recidivism, more than follow-up case management alone. She said Yellow Line screening activity and law enforcement referrals rose early in the program and then plateaued as staffing availability changed.
Key measures presented: screenings offered and completed; law enforcement referrals to Yellow Line; individuals screened and referred to case management; and caseload averages per full-time equivalent. Angie said the average caseload per FTE for Yellow Line had risen from about 7 in 2020 to 13.67 at the time of the report. She noted that case management accounts for only about 30% of each care coordinator's time; the program's goal is about 10 cases per FTE given that care coordination is one of several duties.
Angie also outlined how care coordinators spend their time: roughly 30% on case management, 20% on active engagement and collaborative outreach with community partners, and the remainder on screenings, initial plans and related tasks. The collaborative outreach meetings bring law enforcement, housing, clinical providers, MSU Extension (referred to as MSU in the packet) and other partners together monthly or every two months to share best practices without disclosing personal information.
Staff said the collaborative outreach model, pioneered locally, helped increase law enforcement buy-in and contributed to referrals. Angie warned that not backfilling positions will likely change data outcomes for the project this year and next because staffing is “significantly less” than in prior periods. The transcript does not include a detailed list of case-level outcomes or named participants in the collaborative outreach meetings beyond agency types.
No formal action was requested; commissioners thanked staff for the update.
