Association of Minnesota Counties Presents Local Agency With Award

(KNSI) – The Association of Minnesota Counties recognized Stearns County Human Services Department for its Family and Children’s Integrated Services Model at Tuesday’s county commissioners meeting.

The program tries to keep at-risk youth at home with loved ones rather than placing them in county facilities or hospitals as they try to navigate significant behavioral and mental health issues. Member Engagement Coordinator Ryan Erdemann says his organization was impressed by two main factors.

“When you do services at the front end, it’s often hard to quantify. That’s another thing they’ve done a nice job of, is quantifying, ‘We’re providing better service at the front end, we’re preventing negative outcomes and the costs that come with that,’ and they’ve got the data to back that up.”

Stearns County says it has reduced out-of-home placement costs by $1 million since 2022, and the number of children in care has dropped by 24%.

Erdemann and the Association of Minnesota Counties believes it could be used throughout the state. “And then we also have a component for any project to win that’s sort of replicable. Could another county in Minnesota look at what’s happening here in Stearns County and say, ‘Hey, let’s talk to them. Let’s figure out our staffing. Could we try and do that in our county as well?'”

Additionally, the National Association of Counties singled out the program for an honor last summer. Erdemann elaborates that the national awards have several categories, but human services is known to be a broad and highly competitive race. Stearns County was the only one in the entire country to get the nod.

Department staff were on hand to cheer the award. Erdemann and Stearns County Human Services Administrator Melissa Huberty addressed the commissioners. Afterwards, a group photo was taken.

___