Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Health Services Capacity topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Price County HHS officials warn of staff burnout, costly placements in opioid response
Summary
Health and Human Services staff told the ad-hoc committee that high caseloads and limited local services drive expensive out-of-home placements; the department recently obtained funding for up to two behavioral health social workers but warned turnover risk remains high.
Sarah Reese-Socha, Health and Human Services Director, told the committee that a major concern is high caseloads and staff burnout, which reduce the department's capacity to manage child-welfare and behavioral-health needs. "One concern is a high number of caseloads and staff burnout," Reese-Socha said, noting the department sometimes must be creative to cover services and that placements can be costly.
Kayla Borgen, Children and Youth, reported that "over 60% of out of home placements have to do with drug related issues and homes for child protective services," and said the county lacks enough local services for families. Borgen described costs for family drug testing supplies, noting that every batch of 25 costs $625 and clinics can process several tests per day; she urged ideas to make treatment appealing so parents access services earlier.
