Stearns County Behavioral Health Program Honored

(KNSI) – A Stearns County program that aims to keep at-risk teens and youth with their families rather than in a mental health facility has won an award.

The Family and Children’s Integrated Services Model received the County Achievement Award from the Association of Minnesota Counties. It was first implemented in 2022 and has been credited with saving Stearns County $1 million by eliminating out-of-home placement costs. Another benefit is that the number of children entering care dropped 24%.

Before the model was adopted, 22 children had to be held at a county building for a combined 67 days, waiting for a space to open up. Staff realized that this was not ideal when dealing with youth who had significant behavioral and mental health problems. The hope was keeping family involved would lower the risks they face.

Human Services Administrator Melissa Hubert says, “We are driven to be part of system change that finds pathways out of poverty and addresses systemic issues before the most expensive, deep-end and traumatic services are involved so that better outcomes occur, and families and youth are better off than before services were offered.”

The Stearns County program was one of only four that was recognized by the Association of Minnesota Counties.

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