AMC - DHS Task Force on
Managing Change
in the Human Services System

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:

  • 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.

  • Reviewed work done in MSHO and in mental health reform to identify how structure and process can be improved to address future issues.

  • Considered how the federal deficit reduction act (DRA) will affect county responsibilities and the work of this group.

  • 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.

Meeting Minutes:

August 2005 Minutes

November 2005 Minutes

March 2006 Minutes