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The Minnesota Department of Human Services has awarded 10 grants totaling nearly
$1.8 million to help service providers find new ways to promote integration of
people with disabilities in their communities. This is the first round of
funding under state legislation calling for DHS to provide incentives for
providers to innovate to achieve positive outcomes for people with
disabilities, including competitive employment and living in the most
integrated settings. Read more in a news release about
the grants.
The number of Minnesota children suspected of being abused or neglected
grew significantly in 2016. More than 39,500 children were the subject of
reports, a 25 percent increase from 2015. Of those children, 16,400 were part
of child maltreatment investigations, a 43 percent increase over the previous
year. Minnesota has adopted a range of strategies to address this issue. Gov.
Mark Dayton recently proposed additional investments to strengthen safety and
stability for children, including changes that will improve policies and
practices at the local level. More information about child abuse and neglect
prevention is available
in a news release.
An effort to increase treatment capacity at Minnesota’s state-run mental
health hospitals is already having positive effects in the regions they serve,
said Human Services Commissioner Emily Piper, but those gains are being
threatened by proposals being considered by the Minnesota Legislature. During a
visit to the Community Behavioral Health Hospital (CBHH) in Baxter on April 11,
Piper heard from area mental health services providers that adding staff and
opening more psychiatric beds at the facility has eased some of the strain on
local emergency rooms and improved access to treatment for people suffering
acute psychiatric crises. More information is available in a news release
A health care initiative that has helped Minnesota save more than $150
million and achieve better health outcomes for people enrolled in Medical
Assistance and MinnesotaCare would expand under a budget proposal from Gov.
Mark Dayton. On April 6, Human Services Commissioner Emily Piper visited Lake
Region Healthcare in Fergus Falls, which has participated in IHP since 2015, to
highlight the proposal. More information is available in a news release about
the proposal.
Nursing homes throughout Minnesota are launching a variety of initiatives
to improve their quality of care for residents thanks to more than $6.7 million
in funding through a Minnesota Department of Human Services program. Grants for
a total of 38 projects in 87 communities will benefit 28 individual nursing
homes and 10 nursing home collaboratives with capacity to serve more than 9,500
people. The nursing home initiatives aim for outcomes ranging from fewer
infections and injuries, better sleep and less depression to more meaningful
activities for residents and higher employee retention. More information can be
found in a news
release about the grants.
Parents of children or young adults under age 21 with autism spectrum
disorder (ASD) or a related condition were invited to a parents meeting hosted
by the Minnesota Department of Human Services Friday, April 21. This meeting was
the first of proposed quarterly meetings in the state for parents to learn
about and discuss the Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention
(EIDBI) benefit for children and young adults under age 21 with ASD and related
conditions. More information is available in a news release about
the meeting.
Fact
sheets summarizing human services proposals for the 2017 legislative session
are available on the DHS website. Legislative reports and background
information also can be found on the legislative information
page. Information
about Gov. Mark Dayton’s fiscal year 2018-19 budget recommendations is
available on the Minnesota Management and Budget website
For accessible formats of this publication or assistance
with additional equal access to human services, write to dhs.communications@state.mn.us,
call 651-431-2911, or use your preferred relay service.
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