Type:

Cooperative Services

800 Mhz Project

Agency, Counties or Groups involved in the process:

Anoka County, Anoka County Sheriff Dept., local fire and police departments within Anoka County.

Why did you collaborate on this effort?

Public Safety Radio Communication Subsystem- Incorporate a regionwide public safety radio communcation systems that would support police, fire, ambulance and sherriff departments with their radio communications.

Keys to success / challenges / lessons learned / advice to others:

Improved communication throught 800 Mhz radio system thru-out Anoka County involved working with all local fire and police department to work with Anoka County for testing, feedback and streamlining services to be successful.

What have been the outcomes to-date?

Communcation btw Anoka County and other departments was very important.  Keeping fire and police departments informed at all times made the project move along very well.

Resources:

Anoka County's 800 Mhz Radio system is up and running and has been very well recived.

For more information,
please contact:

Dee Guthman, Admin. Specialist

dee.guthman@co.anoka.mn.us   

Type:

Cooperative Services

Anoka County Joint Law Enforcement Council

Agency, Counties or Groups involved in the process:

Anoka County, all Municipal Law Enforcemtn agencies within Anoka County.  County Sheriff and County Attorney.

Why did you collaborate on this effort?

Organized in 1970 and has representatives from all of the municipal law enforcement agencies in the county as well as the county sheriff and county attorney.  The council has a cooperative arrangement for law enforcement training intiatives, purchasing, central communications (911) and major crime investigations.

Keys to success / challenges / lessons learned / advice to others:

The council works to eliminate excess and overlapping services which would otherwise exist.

What have been the outcomes to-date?

The council established the first central dispatch operation in the State of Minnesota, which now has evvolved into the current central 911 service for the citizens of Anoka County.

Resources:

For more information,
please contact:

Dee Guthman, Admin. Specialist

dee.guthman@co.anoka.mn.us   

Type:

Cooperative Services

Cass/Clay Community Influenza Collaborative

Agency, Counties or Groups involved in the process:

Representation on the committee includes health care providers in Fargo, ND and Moorhead, MN including hospitals, clinics, local college health facilities, public health, nursing homes, ambulance service, and public information officers.

Why did you collaborate on this effort?

The group was first established in 2000 to address the concerns about seasonal influenza planning and vaccine distribution due to delays in vaccine.  Since that time the group has expanded to not only address seasonal influenza but many other communicable diseases, smallpox preparedness, SARS planning ,pandemic influenza planning and other public health emergency planning.

Keys to success / challenges / lessons learned / advice to others:

The initial goal was to improve communication between the private and public health care sectors in regards to influenza prevention planning.  We wanted to develop a common message for the general public regarding influenza vaccination, educate all health care providers regarding CDC influenza vaccination guidelines and encourage compliance, establish consistency in timing of vaccination clinics as well as vaccine prices throughout our communities and develop a local influenza surveillance system.

What have been the outcomes to-date?

Our successes have been most notably that we have improved communication and collaboration between public and private health care providers.  No longer is the public receiving mixed messages about influenza prevention and vaccination. The surveillance system has been a benefit with the combined information regarding influenza in our communities.

Some of the challenges were in implementing the surveillance system with efficiency, timeliness and ease of entry for participating agencies.

Fargo Cass Public Health in ND has a local health officer who has a strong interest in surveillance and data so we were fortunate to have that expertise with this system.

We also are bordering states and some challenges can be to work as one community but also follow recommendations from both state health agencies.

Resources:

The group has expanded membership from 6 individuals the first year to around 20 individuals at present from the health care providers. 

There is an increase in the entities participating in the surveillance system from 8 to 18.

Communication has improved between the public and private health care sectors.  The public is now receiving common information and messaging about influenza prevention.

There continues to be a growing sense of community involvement and ownership as we addess other communicable disease control and emergency planning.

For more information,
please contact:

Kathy McKay, Public Health Director

kathy.mckay@co.clay.mn.us  

Type:

Cooperative Services

Cass/Clay Community Influenza Collabortive

Agency, Counties or Groups involved in the process:

Representation on the committee includes health care providers in Fargo, ND and Moorhead, MN including hospitals, clinics, local college health facilities, public health, nursing homes, ambulance service, and public information officers.

Why did you collaborate on this effort?

The group was first established in 2000 to address the concerns about seasonal influenza planning and vaccine distribution due to delays in vaccine.  Since that time the group has expanded to not only address seasonal influenza but many other communicable diseases, smallpox preparedness, SARS planning ,pandemic influenza planning and other public health emergency planning.

Keys to success / challenges / lessons learned / advice to others:

The initial goal was to improve communication between the private and public health care sectors in regards to influenza prevention planning.  We wanted to develop a common message for the general public regarding influenza vaccination, educate all health care providers regarding CDC influenza vaccination guidelines and encourage compliance, establish consistency in timing of vaccination clinics as well as vaccine prices throughout our communities and develop a local influenza surveillance system.

What have been the outcomes to-date?

Our successes have been most notably that we have improved communication and collabortion between public and private health care providers.  No longer is the public receiving mixed messages about influenza prevention and vaccination. The surveillance system has been a benefit with the combined information regarding influenza in our communities.

Some of the challenges were in implementing the surveillance system with efficiency, timeliness and ease of entry for participating agencies.

Fargo Cass Public Health in ND has a local health officer who has a strong interest in surveillance and data so we were fortunate to have that expertise with this system.

We also are bordering states and some challenges can be to work as one community but also follow recommendations from both state health agencies.

Resources:

The group has expanded membership from 6 individuals the first year to around 20 individuals at present from the health care providers. 

There is an increase in the entities participating in the surveillance system from 8 to 18.

Communication has improved between the public and private health care sectors.  The public is now receiving common information and messaging about influenza prevention.

There continues to be a growing sense of community involvement and ownership as we addess other communicable disease control and emergency planning.

For more information,
please contact:

Kathy McKay, Public Health Director

kathy.mckay@co.clay.mn.us  

Type:

Cooperative Services

Enterprise GIS

Agency, Counties or Groups involved in the process:

City of Moorhead and Clay County Minnesota.

Why did you collaborate on this effort?

Implement a Geographic Information System (GIS) that reduces duplication adn provides for all the needs of Clay County and the City of Moorhead.

Keys to success / challenges / lessons learned / advice to others:

Reduce duplication and increase access to information.

What have been the outcomes to-date?

Work together to achieve a goal.  Purpose is more important that process.  Be willing to change established business practices.

Resources:

Successfully implemented.

For more information,
please contact:

Mark Sloan, GIS Coordinator

mark.sloan@co.clay.mn.us  

Type:

Cooperative Services

Family Group Decision Making

Agency, Counties or Groups involved in the process:

This is an 8 county collaborative effort.

Why did you collaborate on this effort?

Family Group Decision Making is process which involves enlisting the aid and resources of families of persons who are involved in the child protection system. The families are involved in decsion making re: the placement and care of vulnerable children and general service plan development.

Keys to success / challenges / lessons learned / advice to others:

It was an opportunity to obtain grant dollars to fund a service enhancement.

What have been the outcomes to-date?

The first real key to success was the great support from a larger county partner who took the lead in obtaining the grant.

Resources:

Clients and staff have been very pleased with this service approach.

For more information,
please contact:

Ray Reese, Human Services Director

ray.reese@co.jackson.mn.us

Type:

Cooperative Services

Jackson County Meth Task Force

Agency, Counties or Groups involved in the process:

See above for reference to the various groups involved in the MTF.

Why did you collaborate on this effort?

The MTF is made up of representatives from law enforcement, County Attorney, public health, corrections, emergency services, medical services, fire department, schools, county administration and human services.

Keys to success / challenges / lessons learned / advice to others:

Four years ago it became very apparent that meth was a rapidly growing problem that was affecting every one of the above referenced groups as well as the general community. The group was formed to provide education and information to the service community as well as the general population.

What have been the outcomes to-date?

The primary key is to have a group that is convinced of the seriousness of the meth problem and committed to doing something about it. Next it is important to plan activities that can be observed and measured relative to success.

Resources:

We have received very positive response to  efforts related to education within the schools, an information booth at the county fair and various public presentations.

For more information,
please contact:

Ray Reese, Human Services Director

ray.reese@co.jackson.mn.us  

Type:

Cooperative Services

Olmsted County Tuberculosis Clinic

Agency, Counties or Groups involved in the process:

Olmsted County Public Health Services (OCPHS), the Mayo Clinic, and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH)

Why did you collaborate on this effort?

The Olmsted County Tuberculosis Clinic is to our knowledge unlike any other TB Clinic in the country. It is not a satellite medical clinic that resides within a health department, nor is it solely a public health clinic that contracts for medical services.  It is a unique model of collaboration that integrated the clinical strengths and material resources of the Mayo Clinic with those of Olmsted County Public Health.  The Clinic has a large waiting room, a small laboratory, a professional consultation room and three negative pressure exam rooms.  One of the exam rooms houses a state-of-the-art digital x-ray machine and a HEPA filtered sputum induction/collection hood.  A public health x-ray technician is able to send digital x-ray images to the Mayo radiology department instantly and receive results within hours.  The same public health technician is also able to induce and collect sputums or draw blood samples and send them quickly by courier to a Mayo laboratory for analysis.  A physician from a core group of Pulmonary, Infectious Disease, Pediatric and Internal Medicine specialists staffs the Clinic two half days each week.  The physicians are assisted by a public health nurse (PHN) and, if needed, a public health interpreter and assess 4 to 5 patients with active or suspected TB during each clinic.  If a patient is contagious, public health staff conduct contact investigations to detect spread of the disease and provide treatment to infected contacts.  Tuberculosis is a complicated disease and sometimes difficult to treat; a patient is required to take multiple drugs in varying regimens for many months to reach a cure.  A PHN monitors the health of the patient and manages the delivery of medication.  Persons with active TB are visited daily by public health outreach workers who deliver and directly observe them taking TB medications.  Public health nurses also skin test persons for TB on a daily basis and manage the treatment of persons with latent (not active) TB infections. All patient medications and a small grant to support patient outreach are provided by the Minnesota Department of Health.

Keys to success / challenges / lessons learned / advice to others:

In the late 1990’s Olmsted County experienced an increase of active tuberculosis cases related to increases in new immigrants from countries where TB is endemic.  This trend peaked with 19 new cases in 1999 and lead to a series of meetings between OCPHS, the Mayo Clinic and the Board of County Commissioners to discuss how we could improve prevention, detection and control of the disease.  In addition to providing information/education to clinicians and persons at risk it was clear that a TB clinic was needed.  The purpose of the Clinic was to centralize medical and public health expertise in one location, reducing the logistical complexities of serving patients and enhancing opportunities for medical and public health collaboration.  Locating the Clinic within the OCPHS building, a place familiar to refugees and uninsured patients, also improved the probability that patients would follow through with recommended visits and procedures.  In the past, they would go one place for skin tests, another place for x-rays, yet another place for sputums, and frequently another place for treatment and case management.

What have been the outcomes to-date?

The commitment of resources from Mayo Clinic and Olmsted County leadership to the control of TB has been essential to the Clinic’s success.  One of the challenges was to develop policies and procedures that complied with HIPAA rules and the state data practices act while permitting the necessary exchange of data.  Another challenge was having public health and medical staff adjust to each other’s work styles and expectations.  The centralization of medical and public health services has created opportunities for learning and innovation that would never have been possible in a traditional environment.  Tremendous time savings for patients and staff have also been a benefit.  Patients are able to move through the system rapidly and are rarely lost to follow-up.  The quick turnaround of test results leads to quicker diagnoses and creates a necessary environment of urgency for the patient.  Time that PHN’s once devoted to tracking persons through multiple systems can now be used more productively.

Resources:

The Olmsted County TB Clinic has become a regional resource of information and expertise for doctors and public health providers.  Most Olmsted County physicians refer patients with suspected or diagnosed TB to the Clinic for diagnosis and treatment.  From 2001 to 2005, the Olmsted County TB Clinic provided direct medical services to 83% of the Olmsted County residents diagnosed with TB (60 patients).  The Clinic also provided medical and nursing services to 10 other persons who moved to Olmsted County while under treatment for active TB.  Directly observed therapy visits grew from 36 in the year 2000 to 1172 visits in 2005.  The number of visits for persons on therapy for latent TB infections (non-active TB) grew from 307 in 2002 to 1145 in 2005.  The Olmsted County TB Clinic is the only clinic in Minnesota that is using a Quantiferron Gold blood test in addition to the traditional skin test as a TB screening tool.

For more information,
please contact:

Larry Edmonson, MPH, Director of Disease Control & Prevention

edmonson.larry@co.olmsted.mn.us

Type:

Cooperative Services

Praxis Shelter

Agency, Counties or Groups involved in the process:

8 county collaborative program.

Why did you collaborate on this effort?

A shelter program for youth ages 12-17 years of age. The partner counties contract with a provider for staff and program.

Keys to success / challenges / lessons learned / advice to others:

Jackson County is to small to independently finance a viable shelter program that is in closer proximity than other similar resources.

What have been the outcomes to-date?

The challenge was to have a utilization rate that would cover all costs. The resolution was for each partner county to pay an annual administrative grant.

Resources:

We have maintained a viable regional shelter program for over 3 years.

For more information,
please contact:

Ray Reese, Human Services Director

ray.reese@co.jackson.mn.us   

Type:

Cooperative Services

Red River Children's Advocacy Center

Agency, Counties or Groups involved in the process:

Cass County Sheriff's Department

Cass County Social Services

Cass County States Attorney

Clay County Social Services

Clay County Sheriff's Department

Clay County Attorney's Office

Dakota Medical Foundation

Dilworth Police Department

Fargo Police Department

MeritCare Health System

Moorhead Police Department

Minnesota State University Moorhead

North Dakota Department of Human Services

Neuropsychiatric Research Institute

Rape and Abuse Crisis Center

Southeast Human Service Center

University of North Dakota School of Medicine

West Fargo Police Department

Why did you collaborate on this effort?

The Red River Children's Advocacy Center centrally coordinates the efforts of social services, law enforcement, prosecutors, family advocates and medical/mental health professionls, thereby streamlining the investigation of child abuse.  Communication among team members is facilitated.  Legal strategies are bolstered.  Follow-up treatment is closely monitored. Most importantly, the emotional burden on the child and family are reduced.

Keys to success / challenges / lessons learned / advice to others:

The Red River Children's Advocacy Center was created by a multi-disciplinary group of dedicated professionals to better respond to child abuse in North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota.

What have been the outcomes to-date?

The initial stakeholders for this project spent consideral time addressing the similarities and differences in legal requirements and pracitce standards between the two states of MN and ND.  Partner agencies committed staff time on an on-going basis to the project.  Partner agencies committed to educating themselves on best practice standards in the delivery of services to children and families experiencing child abuse.

Resources:

*Board of Director's established.

*Executive Director Hired

*Program Manager Hired

*Location for the center secured at 100 So. 4th Street in Fargo, ND.

*Two years of operational funding secured.

*Through August 2006, approximately 218 children have been served by the facility.

*Over 14 counties in MN and ND have made referrals to the center.

For more information,
please contact:

Beth Wosick, Executive Director Red River Children's Advocacy Center

bethrrcac@yahoo.com  

Type:

Cooperative Services

Souther Anoka County Community Consortium Joint Powers Agreement

Agency, Counties or Groups involved in the process:

Anoka County, the Cities of Columbia Heights, Fridley and Hilltop and Independent School Districs #13 and 14.

Why did you collaborate on this effort?

Established in 1995, a Joint Powers agreement established the Southern Anoka County Comm. Consortium (SACCC) was to allow each party to jointly and cooperatively coordinate the delivery of services, maximize the use of resources, avoid redundancy, encourage public, private community partnership and to develop and fund programs to promote the general community health and safety.

Keys to success / challenges / lessons learned / advice to others:

Improved services as well as quality of services that could be offered to the public.

What have been the outcomes to-date?

Successful program such as Everyday Hero Contest, Stand for Children Day, Courage and Kindness Retreats, High School Sportsmanship Awards and Community Recognition Awards.  These programs impact community sectors at all levels, multicultural and intergenerational.

Resources:

For more information,
please contact:

Dee Guthman, Admin. Specialist

dee.guthman@co.anoka.mn.us  

Type:

Cooperative Services

Southwestern Mental Health Center

Agency, Counties or Groups involved in the process:

A 5 county collaboration to fund and manage a mental health center.

Why did you collaborate on this effort?

A multi-county mental health center.

Keys to success / challenges / lessons learned / advice to others:

To expand and improve mental health services to county residents. Jackson County increased it's expenditures for m h services when joining the existing 4 county MHC.

What have been the outcomes to-date?

The success of the MHC is due largely to the positive working relationships between the member counties.

Resources:

Improved and expanded m h servives to county residents.

For more information,
please contact:

Ray Reese, Human Services Director

ray.reese@co.jackson.mn.us  

Type:

Cooperative Services

Southwestern Mn Adult Mental Health Consortium

Agency, Counties or Groups involved in the process:

18 Southwestern counties.

Why did you collaborate on this effort?

18 county consortium with the goal of developing, maintaining, improving and providing adult mental health services in the SW part of the state.

Keys to success / challenges / lessons learned / advice to others:

To assist in achieving the goals as defined above in a more cost effective manner than would be possible as a small individual county.

What have been the outcomes to-date?

One major key to success it the utilization of a wide expanse of expertise.

Resources:

The SW 18 counties have collaborated in the development and provision of a wide array of community mental health services which are intended to replace the regional treatment center model.

For more information,
please contact:

Ray Reese, Human Services Director

ray.reese@co.jackson.mn.us  

Type:

Cooperative Services

Tri-county Children's Day Treatment Program

Agency, Counties or Groups involved in the process:

This program is 3 county and 12 school district collaborative.

Why did you collaborate on this effort?

A mental health treatment program that serves children who have a mh diagnosis. It is a day long community based program which combines school and mental health services.

Keys to success / challenges / lessons learned / advice to others:

To improve services and provide a cost effective method of meeting the needs of children who might otherwise have to be served in the more costly residential treatment programs.

What have been the outcomes to-date?

It was a significant challenge to develope a joint powers agreement that was acceptable to a total of 15 elected bodies of government.

Resources:

There have a significant number of children who not only received services while living at home, but they have been returned to their home school.

For more information,
please contact:

Ray Reese, Human Services Director

ray.reese@co.jackson.mn.us  

Type:

Cooperative Services

Underage Substance Use Coalition

Agency, Counties or Groups involved in the process:

Participation includes a representative from the Police Department, Sheriff's Department, Higher Education, Clay County Collaborative, Clay County Commissioners, Moorhead City Council, Safe Communities and others.

Why did you collaborate on this effort?

Clay County Public Health convened a coalition for the City of Moorhead and Clay County to address underage drinking.  In addition to this, identified and supported other groups addressing various aspects of underage drinking in Clay County and Cass County of ND--developing a strategy of a "network of coalitions" addressing underage drinking and providing liaison services between these groups.

Keys to success / challenges / lessons learned / advice to others:

Both Clay County of Minnesota and Cass County of North Dakota struggle with underage drinking, especially in the 4 higher education organizations in the region.  Two deaths have taken place over the last two years.  These two communities have come together to develop like strategies, share resources and ideas, and to provide an unified and coordinated strategy to mobilize the community to address these issues.

What have been the outcomes to-date?

The key to success up to this point is involving all sectors of the community, leadership from several tireless and passionate people in various settings, support and involvement from community leaders.  Challenges include continuing to keep momentum and new activities occurring as well as continuing to keep the media interested.

Lessons learned include being flexible with the direction and coalition approach.  For example, in a network of coalitions, identifying who is in the best position to address various aspects of underage drinking, supporting those who are in the most crucial time of an activity, using innovative and efficient ways to continue involvement and communication without producing burnout and discouragement. 

Advice for others:  developing a whole new coalition may not be the best method to move forward on a project, focusing on underage drinking.  Several groups may hold the key to successes in various areas, integrating into existing group/coalition opportunities.

Resources:

1.Town hall meeting (planned by the large group)

2.Ongoing assessment of current prevention and intervention services in the community.

3.Training of an environmental strategies group coordinated by MSUM (local university).

4. Higher Education systems in Moorhead wrote and was awarded a Federal Department of Education grant to address underage drinking of students.

5.Active investigation of Juvenile and Adult Drug Courts in Clay County.

6.Plans for retailers education.

7.Grant pending for a community social norms campaign.

CADCA--http://cadca.org/

SAMHSA--http://www.samhsa.gov/   

FACE--http://www.faceproject.org/

CSAP

http://prevention.samhsa.gov/about/default.aspx

Pacific Institute http://www.pire.org/subject1.asp?id=8

DHHS, SAMHSA National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Data

http://ncadi.samhsa.gov/promos/ncadiupdate/

National Social Norms Resource Center

http://www.socialnorms.org/Research/Research

Research.php

For more information,
please contact:

Gina Nolte, Clay County Health Promotion Director

gina.nolte@co.clay.mn.us  

Type:

Cooperative Services

West Central CD Treatment and Correctional Facilty

Agency, Counties or Groups involved in the process:

* Clay, Becker, Douglas, Grant, Otter Tail,Pope, Stevens, Todd, Traverse, wilkin and Wadena Counties.

* Minnesota Legislature

* District Courts in the Seventh and Eighth Juducial Districts

* Minnesota Supreme Court

* Minnesota Department of Corrections

* Minnesota Department of Human Services

Why did you collaborate on this effort?

11 Counties in West Central Minnesota are jointly working on project planning and pre design study for the establishment of a regional CD Treatment and Correctional Facility.

Keys to success / challenges / lessons learned / advice to others:

The goal is to:

* provide effective chemical dependency treatment(alcohol to methamphatemine)to inmates, while incarcerated, by trained and experienced staff.

* reduction of reducing stress on the local counbty jails (in terms of jail population and operating costs)

* help reduce the rate of recidivism among the jail population

What have been the outcomes to-date?

Key to success would be the buy out from all involved parties. Challenges are inter jurisdictional/judicial district boundary issues and availability of funding for the project.

Resources:

At this time this is a work in progress. We are encouraged by entusiastic support from our legislators and Officials from the Supreme Court, 7th Judicial District and Minnesota Department of Human Resources.

Facility Vision Statement and proposed scope of the pre-design study can be obtained by contacting Nancy Straw, President, West Central  Initiative at (218) 739 2239 or at nancy@wcif.org

For more information,
please contact:

Robert McCrory, Commisioner, Pope County  and Chairman of the Task Force

robertmccrory57@hotmail.com