“Human companies applications contact almost each Minnesotan in some unspecified time in the future in life,” the creator writes, encouraging the Legislature to rethink how Minnesota delivers these companies. (Photograph by Getty Pictures)
Chuck Johnson raises well timed points in his Reformer commentary, “Time to rethink human companies as Trump administration dumps prices on counties.”
Minnesota’s human service system is going through a disaster, and coverage makers ought to seize the chance to rethink state and county roles.
The state-supervised, county-delivered construction we depend on at this time was developed almost a century in the past, within the period of pen and paper, when essentially the most sensible technique to apply for public help was to stroll right into a county workplace and fill out varieties in particular person.
However the world has modified dramatically.
Right now, Minnesotans anticipate companies which might be easy, quick and accessible on-line — anytime, from anyplace. The county workplace is now not as handy because the telephone in our pocket. It’s time to rethink how we construction and ship human companies throughout the state.
Human companies applications contact almost each Minnesotan in some unspecified time in the future in life.
The system helps dad and mom caring for younger kids; adults scuffling with psychological well being or substance use; seniors who need assistance remaining of their houses; individuals with disabilities who need to reside independently; and households in search of meals or housing stability throughout tough occasions.
These aren’t summary applications. They help our neighbors, our co-workers, and sometimes our personal households. A well-functioning system strengthens households and communities and reduces long-term public prices.
However when the system is complicated, sluggish, or fragmented, the implications will be profound each for the Minnesotans in search of assist and for the general public sources that maintain them.
The core problem of the state-county system is the disconnect between the Legislature, state companies and county governments.
The Legislature writes the legal guidelines.
State companies interpret, handle, and supervise them.
Counties are answerable for delivering the companies on to residents.
Over time, layers of well-intentioned guidelines and safeguards have accrued, typically in response to particular considerations or headlines. Every layer provides complexity — with new varieties, verification steps, or reporting necessities. The result’s a system that’s tough for residents to navigate and costly to manage. County workers who need to assist individuals as a substitute spend hours verifying paperwork, chasing documentation, and guaranteeing compliance with typically contradictory necessities.
Traditionally, the Legislature and state companies didn’t really feel the urgency to spend money on higher county know-how or streamlined administrative processes, maybe as a result of by advantage of their roles they don’t see the day-to-day inefficiencies that seep into the county budgets. We consider that’s altering, as evidenced by the $40 million funding in updating one system final yr — however there are various extra programs that want the identical consideration.
For instance, counties have estimated that simply 4 areas of inefficiency — duplicate information entry, handbook renewals, inefficient programming, and handbook notices despatched to purchasers due to system errors — price greater than $23 million per yr in workers time.
Compounding the problem, Minnesota counties are going through a tsunami of recent “price shares” from each federal and state governments, and we’re struggling to remain afloat. This methodology of lowering state and federal budgets doesn’t cut back the general price of the applications. It simply shifts the fee all the way down to property taxes as a substitute of state and federal taxes.
These challenges are why counties agree that it’s time for the Legislature to spend money on a complete evaluation of state and county duties.
This evaluation ought to look at which companies are finest delivered constantly and centrally — by statewide programs, shared know-how platforms, or uniform processes — and that are only when localized and tailor-made to group wants.
For instance, eligibility determinations and routine administrative processes could also be extra environment friendly if standardized statewide.
In distinction, companies like youngster safety, behavioral well being coordination, and help for older adults typically require shut relationships with native suppliers, faculties, legislation enforcement and group organizations.
The objective shouldn’t be to shift every thing to at least one stage or one other, however to align accountability with the extent of presidency finest geared up to ship high-quality service.
Counties are desirous to be companions on this work. We see the pressure on frontline workers, on households navigating complicated necessities, and on property taxpayers funding a system that has not been up to date to match trendy wants. We additionally acknowledge the dedication of the Legislature and state companies, who share our objective of serving Minnesotans successfully and responsibly.
Our state has a historical past of innovation and collaboration in public service. Our state-supervised, county-administered system was the correct alternative for Minnesotans when it was created.
Now, we’ve got a chance now to create a extra streamlined and sustainable system — one which meets individuals the place they’re, reduces administrative burden, and makes use of public sources properly.