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St. Croix County HHS reports March financials; behavioral health costs remain high
Summary
Health and Human Services staff told the board March totals were inflated by an early April state payment and flagged ongoing high behavioral-health expenses tied to out-of-county placements and provider funding changes affecting children's services.
St. Croix County Health and Human Services staff presented March 2025 financial results on April 16, saying an early April state payment posted on March 27 doubled up receipts and pushed March totals higher than a year earlier.
"Our April payment came in March 27, so we doubled up our March payments," said Faith Strinkke, the staff member who presented the packet. She pointed the board to a state human‑services line that the packet showed at $202,000 last year and $746 (reported in the meeting) this year, explaining timing as the main driver of the change.
The presentation emphasized program differences by funding source. Behavioral‑health costs were running above last year, driven in part by higher expenses for Winnebago placements and residential placements in Trempealeau, which the presenter said may remain elevated if some placements are long term. In children's services, staff said CCS (a state‑funded program) has lower expenses and therefore generates less reimbursement; a transition of children’s long‑term‑support billing to a third party (GainWell) also reduces locally paid purchase‑service claims and matching revenue.
Staff reported ADRC (aging and disability resource center) costs were on target after operational adjustments and said the Health Care Campus is ahead of last year on fee‑for‑service revenues. The packet and presentation also noted a transfer to debt service that produced a temporary negative balance; staff described that as a timing issue they expect to absorb by year end.
Board members asked for additional breakdowns. One member requested a follow‑up report showing client counts, staff time devoted to these programs and a cost breakdown to clarify where current tax‑levy exposures are largest.
The board took no formal vote on budget changes at the meeting; staff said the report was informational and budget adjustments would be handled through normal processes.
