DHS in the community

DHS Commissioner Emily Piper, right, toured an Alliance Housing rooming house in Minneapolis on Tuesday, Nov. 15, with Barbara Jeanetta, executive director of Alliance Housing. The commissioner made the visit in conjunction with the announcement of $7.1 million in DHS Live Well at Home grants statewide. Several grants will go to projects to provide or improve housing for older adults who are homeless.

Blair Nelson, Connie Jorgensen and their four adopted children — Ira, Sarina, Koda and Emma — shared their story at the 19th annual Celebrate Adoption: Circus of the Heart on Nov. 6 in Oakdale. November is National Adoption Month.

The first class of parents to complete a 12-week course on supporting children with autism spectrum disorder celebrated their graduation last month in Minneapolis. The training was a collaborative effort of DHS, A Global Voice for Autism and the Confederation of Somali Community in Minnesota.

Live Well at Home grants to help homeless older Minnesotans

Services to provide and improve housing for older adults who are homeless or at risk of being so are funded this year by Live Well at Home grants administered by the Minnesota Department of Human Services. The housing-related grants are among a total of $7.1 million grants awarded to 32 organizations providing services and supports that allow older Minnesotans to remain in their homes rather than move to nursing homes or other more expensive settings. More information is in a news release about the grants.

Help find permanent homes and families for 489 Minnesota kids

Of the 866 children currently under state guardianship, 489 need adoptive families immediately. The Minnesota Department of Human Services is working diligently with its partners to connect families looking to adopt with kids needing a forever home. During National Adoption Month in November, DHS and partners are highlighting adoption opportunities in Minnesota by hosting festivals, conferences, school activities, resource fairs and events. More information is in a news release about Adoption Month.

Governor’s Task Force delivers recommendations to improve mental health care

The Governor’s Task Force on Mental Health delivered recommendations to Gov. Mark Dayton Nov. 17 for creating a statewide mental health system that meets the needs of all Minnesotans. More than 200,000 adults and 75,000 children in Minnesota live with mental illness. Gaps in Minnesota’s mental health system can lead to inappropriate and expensive care, such as hospitalization or ending up in a jail cell instead of a home visit from a mobile crisis team. The task force took a comprehensive look at the state’s mental health system and provided nine recommendations in its final report (PDF) to build a mental health care system that serves the needs of Minnesotans. More information is in a story about the task force report.

Ombudsman for Long-Term Care volunteers honored

The Office of Ombudsman for Long-Term Care, a program of the Minnesota Board on Aging, recognized 55 Minnesotans who are certified Ombudsman volunteers at an event in September in Willmar. Through the Office of the Ombudsman for Long-Term Care, regional ombudsmen and volunteers work with consumers of long-term care in in their homes, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other settings. More information is in a news release about the volunteers.

Parents learn new skills in autism training

The first class of parents to complete a 12-week course on supporting children with autism spectrum disorder celebrated its graduation Oct. 19 in Minneapolis. The training was a collaborative effort of DHS, A Global Voice for Autism and the Confederation of Somali Community in Minnesota. DHS recruited training participants, arranged for a location, engaged parent volunteers to help, provided family-wide social and emotional supports, and connected them to existing resources and services and provided interpreter services during training sessions as needed. More information is in story about the training. 

Fact sheet updated during November

A fact sheet about DHS programs was updated during November:

• History of the Minnesota Family Investment Program (PDF) (November 2016)

In case you missed it

Links to some news articles about DHS during November:

• Seeking meaning, building family: Winona mother, daughter embrace adoption in teen years
• Grant funds study into racial inequities in nursing homes
• U researchers to examine racial disparities in senior care
• New regional kitchen will prepare more than 100,000 meals a year for rural senior citizens
• November is National Adoption Month
• Hennepin County shifts child protection mission with new model
• 489 Minnesota kids need you now
• Hennepin County leaders seek aid for new child protection plan
• November is Adoption Month
• Emily Piper: Nearly 500 Minnesota children are waiting for homes
• Minnesota Department of Human Services Awards $7.1 Million in ‘Live Well at Home’ Grants
• Grants will help older residents remain in their homes
• Task force takes aim at delays in mental health care system

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