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On Tuesday, May 30, Gov. Mark Dayton signed a bill to fund the Minnesota
Department of Human Services for the next two years, as well as a bonding bill
to pay for needed construction. DHS Commissioner Emily Piper issued a statement
about the approval of the state budget, which can be found on the DHS
website.
With more children in the foster care system, the need for foster parents
is great. The number of children in foster care on an average day increased by
51 percent from almost 6,200 in 2013 to almost 9,400 in 2016. The growing
numbers of children in the child protection system are due, in part, to
increased awareness about child protection issues, changes in how reports are
reviewed, a growing opioid crisis, and children staying in care longer. All of
these factors have led to an increased number of foster children. Read more in
a news release
about Foster Care Month.
Challenging misconceptions
and talking about what teens are doing right can result in real reductions in
teen alcohol use. This is one of the findings of a new report from the
Minnesota Department of Human Services: “Youth Alcohol Prevention That Works:
Reducing Youth Alcohol Use Through Positive Community Norms in Minnesota.” Positive
Community Norms, funded by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration, is a 10-year-old initiative offering grants to school
districts and communities to decrease teen alcohol consumption. Read more in a news release about
Positive Community Norms.
“Mental health is health” is the Minnesota Department of Human Services’
theme for May’s Mental Health Month. That slogan reminds Minnesotans that not
only are mental illnesses common and treatable, but access to mental and
chemical health care is an essential part of everyone’s health. Each year, one
in five Minnesotans experience mental illness, and one in 25 people live with a
serious mental illness such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Fortunately,
there are more treatments, services and community support than ever before,
and, as a result, many people with mental illness can and do recover. Read more
in a news
release about Mental Health Month.
New analysis by the Minnesota Department of Health shows the number of
Minnesotans without health insurance dropped more sharply in Greater Minnesota
than in urban areas since 2011. The MDH analysis also found that rural
Minnesota continues to have a higher proportion of residents enrolled in the
state’s public insurance programs (Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare). By
2015, 28 percent of rural Minnesotans under 65 were covered by public
insurance, compared to 22 percent of those in urban areas. While insurance
coverage improved, some residents still struggled to access and pay for health
care services. Nearly a quarter of rural Minnesotans had difficulty paying
medical bills and 1 in 5 did not get needed health services because of cost.
More information is on the DHS website.
The Minnesota Department of Human Services recently accepted nominations
for its first annual Outstanding Refugee Awards to celebrate the strength,
courage and resilience of people who have had refugee status in Minnesota or
are the children of refugees, and to recognize their contributions to our state.
The award winners will be announced this summer. Outstanding individuals will
be recognized in each region, and awards will be presented in three categories:
Entrepreneurship Award, Civic Leadership Awards and Youth Leadership Award.
Read more on
the DHS 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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