Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Assistance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Crow Wing County says reorganization halved benefits processing times
Summary
County division manager Kara Griffin told commissioners a reorganization of intake and processing roles cut average application processing time from about four weeks to about two weeks, and county SNAP and healthcare timeliness exceeded state targets in 2024.
Kara Griffin, the division manager for the Family and Children's team, briefed the board on the department's 2024 annual report and credited a staff reorganization with significantly speeding benefits processing. "Since they reorganized the work, they're averaging about 2 weeks out in processing," Griffin said, describing a model that separates intake specialists from processing staff to reduce backlog and phone volume.
The change affected multiple programs administered by the Income Maintenance Unit, including SNAP and childcare assistance. Griffin reported that SNAP expedite timeliness reached 89% in 2024, above the state's 80% target, and that healthcare application processing met 100% timeliness against a 95% state goal. She said the county will reopen the two-year contract for employment services with CareerForce Center and other bidders in July, with a recommendation expected in October or November.
Griffin framed the reorganization as both a service and workforce improvement: intake workers focus on customer interviews and intake, while a separate processing team completes casework. Commissioners praised the efficiency gains and encouraged continued efforts to find operational efficiencies.
The board received the report as informational; no formal action was taken at the meeting.
