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Human services board items: provider contracts, housing partnerships, fraud prevention increase and public-health program updates
Summary
Blue Earth County Human Services presented contract renewals for disability services, a Hearth Connections housing agreement, an increased fraud-prevention contract, a task-force appointment, and informational public-health updates on Child and Teen Checkups, SHIP and prenatal-first-steps programs.
Blue Earth County Human Services on June 24 asked the board to approve a series of service contracts and provided informational public-health updates.
Action items approved by the board included renewal of multiple semi-independent living services contracts for adult disability services; a contract with Hearth Connections to support rental assistance and Homeless Management Information System operations tied to HUD-funded programs and the county supportive housing program; and an increase in the county’s fraud-prevention/investigations contract to $125,000 per year for the two-year cycle beginning July 1, 2025. Human Services staff said increases in several contracts were designed to help cover staffing costs and program needs and that many line items remained below state-funded waiver service rates.
Staff also requested and the board approved an appointment to the local mental health task force: Devin Mortwedt, identified as a community resource coordinator with Mankato Department of Public Safety and residing in Commission District 4.
In informational items, public-health staff presented trends and service updates for three programs. Child and Teen Checkup (ages 0–21) reported changes in outreach volumes related to program outreach transitions, the end of pandemic eligibility freezes (“unwinding”), and partnerships with local clinics; staff warned of volatility in eligibility and capacity as expansion of coverage continues. The Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) summary highlighted partner awards to local school districts and nonprofit partners that fund small community initiatives to support policy, systems and environmental changes. The First Steps prenatal/postpartum program was described as an early-intervention maternal-child health service with examples of services and a short video resource noted in the packet.
The board approved the Human Services action items by voice vote. Staff flagged budget pressures from recent and potential state funding changes, a single high-cost institutional case under active management, and ongoing workforce and wage pressures.
