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Hennepin County embedded social worker reports steady referrals, rising elderly needs and one housing success
Summary
Jen Withrow, Hennepin County embedded social worker who covers Orono and six other departments, told the council she handled 545 referrals in 2023 and 561 in 2024 across seven departments. She said Orono referrals rose from 109 to 130 and highlighted rising needs among seniors and some progress placing one homeless person into housing.
Jen Withrow, the Hennepin County embedded social worker assigned to Orono and six neighboring departments, briefed the Mound City Council on Feb. 25 about the program’s referrals, caseload trends and local housing work.
Withrow said the program recorded 545 referrals in 2023 and 561 in 2024 across the seven departments she serves. In Orono specifically she said referrals increased from 109 in 2023 to 130 in 2024.
She told council members a recent pattern is more elderly residents experiencing falls and functional decline; many people want to continue living independently, and Withrow said her role is to connect them to resources such as home safety options, food benefits and health‑care navigation. On homelessness, Withrow said at least one person she worked with has been placed into housing and remained housed for several months; she said other people are “on the verge” of homelessness because of rent arrears and eviction risk.
Withrow described collaborations with local partners: referrals are routed to a new housing navigator at We Can (a local agency) for longer‑term housing work and the county has staff available to help residents apply for SNAP, health care and general assistance. She also discussed expanding co‑responder models in other counties — social workers who accompany or replace police responses in some calls.
Council members thanked Withrow and discussed the city’s interest in sustaining funding for the embedded social worker model and coordinating referrals with local nonprofits.
