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Clay County advisory council urges state action on crisis beds, transportation and mental‑health reimbursements
Summary
The Adult Mental Health Local Advisory Council told the Clay County Board of Commissioners it needs state‑level changes — including better use of local crisis beds, protected transport options and higher reimbursement rates — to reduce costly hospital stays and long waits for services.
Bria Krause, secretary of the Adult Mental Health Local Advisory Council and a Clay County Social Services staff member, presented the council’s annual report Tuesday and recommended several state actions aimed at improving access to local crisis care and lowering county costs.
“Kudos to the commissioners for your financial support,” Krause said, noting the council’s $2,000 2024 county allocation and ongoing stipends that help members participate. The council told commissioners it sees three urgent problem areas: limited use of local crisis beds, lack of nonemergency protected transportation for people in crisis, and county liability for patients who no longer meet inpatient medical criteria but remain hospitalized while placement is sought.
On crisis beds, the report said Gull Harbor and other nearby facilities have capacity but face admission and staffing barriers. “Their staffing pattern has been difficult for the last, probably 9 to 12 months,” a county staff member told the council; the council plans to invite Gull Harbor representatives to monthly meetings to clarify pathways for admission.
The council recommended issuing a request for proposals to certify protected transportation providers under the Minnesota Department of Transportation definition so ambulances can be reserved for true emergencies and counties avoid ambulance transport costs for nonemergency inpatient transfers.
Krause described county hospitalization costs after patients no longer meet medical criteria: “Costs can be upwards $2,000 a day for an individual,” and she said Clay County spent about $390,000 on such cases in 2024. The council urged state advocacy to redirect a larger share of these funds toward building local lower‑level treatment capacity, rather than having the revenue flow only to the state general fund.
The council also asked the county to advocate at the state level for higher reimbursement rates for adult rehabilitative mental health services and Rule 79 case management to address workforce shortages and long waitlists. The council said longer waits — often months for assessments and services — worsen crises and increase downstream costs.
Commissioners thanked the council for its work and discussed next steps, including coordinating advocacy with the Association of Minnesota Counties and county legislators. Commissioner Mojo said the recommendations should be reframed as statewide asks to gain traction; Commissioner Kravanoff said staff can bring the issues to the county’s platform discussions.
The board voted to approve the council’s membership list and continuation of the council’s county support.
