Committee hears update on SSIS modernization; bill to seek funds is laid over

Vice Chair Representative Nelson moved House File 11-69 before the committee as a continuation of a multi-year effort to modernize Minnesota’s Social Services Information System (SSIS) and reduce paperwork for child-protection workers.

Members heard testimony from county and state officials who described how the decades-old SSIS impedes casework and consumes staff time. “We’ve not seen significant investments in our technology system,” Anne Brosgoff, director of human services for Brown County, testified on behalf of the Minnesota Association of County Social Service Administrators (MACSSA). Brosgoff said the paperwork burden and the age of the platform can divert staff time away from direct work with families.

Cynthia Schipholski, SSIS modernization supervisor at the Department of Children, Youth and Families, provided an update on a formal child-protection review completed by SSIS staff. She said the system handles roughly 76,000 reports of alleged abuse or neglect each year, about 32,000 child-protection assessments annually, and case management for approximately 4,500 families. The review produced 56 recommendations: 16 were prioritized as feasible before full modernization, nine have been completed and five are actively in progress, Schipholski said. She also described an interim, secure web tool for the out-of-home placement plan that is scheduled for release in April; the tool will produce a one-page printable summary and reduce the time needed to complete the placement plan by roughly half, the department said.

Committee members and testifiers described the operational impacts: counties and caseworkers reported long SSIS data-entry times, interface instability, lack of autosave, and documents not optimized for casework. One county witness said some caseworkers spend as much as 80% of their time on data entry and administrative tasks rather than direct family work, noting an aspiration to flip that split.

Action: Representative Nelson renewed his motion to lay House File 11-69 over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill; the committee laid the bill over for possible inclusion. The bill was not voted on for final passage; committee members discussed federal matching opportunities (approximately 50% match cited by Vice Chair Nelson) and next steps for procurement and budget requests.

Clarifying details: SSIS review noted 56 recommendations overall with nine completed and five in progress; the system processes an estimated 76,000 reports of alleged abuse/neglect and about 32,000 child-protection assessments annually; an interim out-of-home placement plan web tool was announced for April release to reduce document time and create a one-page summary.

Next steps: Committee members asked for further fiscal details and for continued collaboration between county staff and the department on timelines, procurement, federal match opportunities, and a design/build procurement that will refine final costs and schedule.