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Purpose:
To serve as a leadership group on managing
change in the human services system to achieve the best outcomes for
clients and return on investment.
Click chart for larger image.
Why:
The world is changing—e.g, demographically, culturally,
economically, and technologically. Minnesota’s human services
system needs to adapt to respond to these changes in order to best
meet the needs of its citizens. Counties and the state agree that a
systematic, accountable approach is needed to determine how best to
purchase, deliver and administer services.
How:
By looking at broad human service program areas and examining
ways that counties and the state can best organize themselves to
achieve the best outcomes for clients and return on investment. Our
efforts in several major issue areas – managing care and services
for people with disabilities, mental health reform, MHCP eligibility
process – will serve as a framework to address other areas.
The group has
identified managing care and services
for people with disabilities as an
initial issue area to address. A “sponsor group” (a subgroup of the
full task force) has been asked to develop a work plan and address
this issue. The full Managing Change Task Force will meet
approximately 5 times over the next 12-18 months. They may form
and/or make assignments to other groups to complete their work.
Who:
The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) and the
Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC) have convened the task
force.
Members include
the DHS Executive team, including
Commissioner Kevin Goodno; county commissioners, county human
services directors, and (one) county administrator, as well as AMC,
MACSSA and DHS staff. County representatives were chosen by Anoka
County Commissioner Margaret Langfeld, County Futures Project Chair,
based on geographic representation.
Update:
Last Meeting: March 3, 2006
Next Meeting: Summer 2006
(contingent on work of Disability Sponsor Group)
Activities to date:
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Focused efforts on issue of managing services for people with
disabilities. A “sponsor” work group on this issue has met four
times to address this issue. They are addressing critical
questions related to improving outcomes and effectiveness for
people with disabilities. They are also reviewing surveys and
other data to determine consumer satisfaction and quality of
services provided under current system. They will not meet again
until the end of the legislative session.
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Reviewed work done in MSHO and in mental health reform to
identify how structure and process can be improved to address
future issues.
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Considered how the federal deficit reduction act (DRA) will
affect county responsibilities and the work of this group.
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Agreed to form another “sponsor” group to address issues around
child welfare in light of passage of DRA. The existing MACSSA/DHS
Partnership Work Group is being considered as a vehicle to
address these questions. A larger “stakeholder” group, with
substantial county representation, may also be formed.
Next steps:
- Full group
will not meet again until summer 2006, when the Disability
Sponsor Group has preliminary recommendations.
- Need for a
broader discussion on state-county roles, relationships, and
responsibilities was discussed. It was determined that this
discussion should be reconsidered again after the elections.
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