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County OKs contracts with OASIS and Northern Pines for shelter and school-based mental health services
Summary
Morrison County approved a second-year contract with OASIS using 2024 local homeless prevention aid dollars and renewed a school-based mental health contract with Northern Pines Mental Health, reducing county costs after the agency secured additional grant funding.
Nathan Bertram, Morrison County Health and Human Services director, told commissioners the county received local homeless prevention aid that was routed to HHS and contracted to OASIS in 2023 for sheltering families and youth. Bertram said the 2023 funds are two-year grants that must be spent by Dec. 31, 2026, and roughly $17,000 from the 2024 allocation remains available for contracting this year. The board approved a contract with OASIS to use those remaining dollars for sheltering and related services.
Bertram also presented a renewal contract for Northern Pines Mental Health to provide school-based mental health services through the Morrison County Interagency Coordinating Council (MICC). He said Northern Pines located additional grant funding, allowing a county contract reduction of about 18.5% (approximately $15,000) from the previous year; the proposed contract amount is $69,275 for the school year. The MICC — a collaboration of five school districts, corrections, mid-state education district and TCC with Morrison County as fiscal host — approved the contract and recommended moving forward.
Both contracts were reviewed by county counsel. Commissioners asked for assurances about contractual requirements: Bertram confirmed statutory deadlines for spending the homeless prevention aid and said attorney review had taken place. On the Northern Pines contract, Bertram and staff said the county used American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds in the prior school year to support behavioral intervention work and that he will return in August with a recap of how those ARPA dollars were used and the number of children served.
Motion and vote summary: The board voted in roll call to approve both contracts; each recorded vote was unanimous among the commissioners present. The OASIS contract was described as the second-year contract and consistent with the original use of the 2023 local homeless prevention aid. The Northern Pines contract will support services in Royalton, Swanville, Upsala, Little Falls, Pierce and associated early childhood partners and was approved as presented.
