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County funds two embedded social workers with Minneapolis to engage high‑risk residents on Lake Street
Summary
Hennepin County amended a joint powers agreement with the Minneapolis City Attorney’s Office to fund two embedded social workers who offer voluntary early engagement to high‑risk residents on the Lake Street corridor; staff said the pair had more than 6,000 interactions in 2025 and engaged over 1,600 residents.
Hennepin County’s Human Services Committee approved a $152,352 amendment on June 23 to partially fund two embedded social workers staffed through a joint powers agreement with the Minneapolis City Attorney’s Office.
Leah Kaiser, the county’s director of Behavioral Health, said the social workers operate out of the county Behavioral Health Center at 1800 Chicago and provide voluntary early engagement to high‑risk residents along the Lake Street corridor. Kaiser said the embedded workers aim to reduce the likelihood of law‑enforcement contact by connecting people to behavioral health and social services; she reported the workers had more than 6,000 interactions in 2025 and actively engaged over 1,600 residents.
Commissioners asked about geographic coverage and how the program coordinates with Streets to Housing and other outreach teams. Staff said the workers take referrals from businesses, police and social service agencies and that the county will continue to monitor and coordinate expansion or replication where effective. The committee approved the amendment and extension through Dec. 31, 2026.
