Koochiching County approves $36,450 purchase of Credible Minds mental-health platform using federal COVID funds

Koochiching County approved an initial purchase-of-service agreement on Feb. 11 to subscribe to Credible Minds, a curated, evidence-based digital mental-health platform, for a five-year period at a total cost of $36,450. The county will pay the amount as a lump sum from federal COVID-19 relief funds that must be spent by the end of the reporting period.

Public Health Supervisor Tara Besh and Health Educator Linnea Imhoff presented the proposal. Imhoff said the platform offers vetted self-help tools and assessments, and can link residents to local services such as Rainy Lake Medical Center and Northland Counseling. The county plans to tailor the platform to local resources and to make it available anonymously on county and partner websites.

Commissioners asked about sustainability after the five-year period. Presenters said county staff expect to use usage trends provided by Credible Minds to pursue future funding from local health systems, grants, or other sources. The presenters said the platform’s vendor will provide quarterly anonymous analytics on clicks and assessment use; that trend information will be available to the county to evaluate impact.

The board voted to approve the purchase agreement and instructed staff to provide future updates; presenters said the county will receive quarterly data once the site is launched. The subscription will be funded from available COVID dollars and is meant to address a county-identified top health priority: mental health and well-being.

Ending: Staff said they will return with usage data once reports are available; commissioners asked for periodic progress reports and welcomed partner involvement to sustain the service beyond five years if data support it.