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Clay County social‑services leaders report fewer children in placement, rising behavioral‑health placement costs and new discharge patterns
Summary
Social‑services supervisors told commissioners that unduplicated youth in out‑of‑home placement fell to 146 in 2025 (from 292 in 2016), while county costs for forensic and community placements are rising; staff also described provisional discharges from the state forensic mental‑health program that may increase county housing costs.
County social‑services supervisors briefed the Clay County Board of Commissioners on March 24 about trends and cost pressures across behavioral health, substance‑use services and child protection.
Kirsten Lapard, supervisor of behavioral health and adult protection, said the adult mental‑health unit now has more capacity after hiring a second Rule 79 case manager and other staff adjustments. She said that while pre‑petition screening numbers have declined on paper, the team is able to provide more in‑depth case management to individuals under civil commitment.
Lapard told the board that the county sometimes bears full hospital costs when community placements are unavailable, citing daily hospital costs in the record of about $2,100–$2,300 per day. She also described a change in the discharge process from the state forensic program: two individuals have been provisionally discharged into the community (one in Saint Peter and one in the metro area), which staff said shifts some placement and service costs into the county budget even though direct care and treatment (DCT) retains responsibility for supervision.
On substance use, staff reported completion of 274 comprehensive assessments in 2025 and said treatment‑coordination caseloads and specialty‑court participation (11 participants in DWI court, 13 in drug court) remain active service areas. The presentation noted partnerships with detox providers, the DWI/drug‑court teams and community mental‑health agencies.
Child‑protection supervisors reported progress on several performance measures: unduplicated children in out‑of‑home placement declined from 292 in 2016 to 146 in 2025; Clay County met monthly face‑to‑face visit standards at 97.2%; and the county’s rate of days spent in relative foster care was 54.8%, which removed the county from a prior performance‑improvement plan. Supervisors cautioned that foster‑home shortages, workforce turnover (eight child‑protection staff left during the year) and limited access to high‑level behavioral‑health placements remain challenges.
Commissioners asked about the new provisional‑discharge process and the level of community supervision provided after release; staff said DCT handles reintegration monitoring and that requirements for provisional discharges include frequent contact with reintegration agents and staffed supportive settings, but that placement arrangements and daily rates vary by individual.
The board did not take formal policy action during the update; commissioners thanked staff for the report and asked staff to continue monitoring placement costs and discharge patterns.
