Item Coversheet

Board Action Request
20-0525

Item Description:
Agmt A2010531 with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of MN for behavioral health stabilization services, 12/15/20-12/31/21, $125,000 (recv)
Resolution:

BE IT RESOLVED, that Agreement A2010531 with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota for behavioral health stabilization services during the period December 15, 2020 through December 31, 2020, in the receivable amount of $125,000 be approved; that the Chair of the Board be authorized to sign the agreement on behalf of the county; and that the Controller be authorized to disburse funds as directed; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that sponsorship and acceptance of grant funding for this program by the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners does not imply a continued funding commitment by Hennepin County for this program when grant funds are no longer available.

Background:

Subsequent to the Department’s application for funds, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota awarded the County $125,000. Funds will allow the Human Services and Public Health Department to expand the capacity to respond to families experiencing crises due to a family conflict or a youth’s behavior.

 

The target population will be families of youth who have been referred by the Community Outreach for Psychiatric Emergency (COPE), or youth and families coming to a hospital emergency room who do not meet inpatient admission criteria. Immediate support is essential because situations can escalate over time. Parents and caregivers become exhausted to the point that they often see a youth's removal from the home as the only viable solution.

 

This service will be delivered by a contracted provider with demonstrated skill in culturally relevant services for families who have touched public systems, including juvenile justice, public children’s mental health, and the child welfare system. Services will include rapid response intervention and short-term stabilization. In addition, children and youth must be the financial responsibility of the county and must be a county resident or residents of a home in Hennepin County. The Department expects to see benefits in serving clients through this new method. Services are dedicated to the department’s overarching goals around protecting children and supporting communities and families in raising children who develop to their fullest potential.

 

The Department respectfully requests immediate approval of the agreement because of the late notification of the funding award on December 9, 2020. It is urgent to accept funds in 2020. Because of internal spending deadlines, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota must wire the funds to Hennepin County before December 31, 2020. The department expects these outcomes for the proposed Rapid Response Short Term Stabilization Project:

 

  • Stabilization of the family's functioning and improvement of the child/youth's functioning
  • Reduction in youth being brought to emergency rooms and inpatient hospitalizations
  • Reduction in youth being placed in juvenile detention, residential treatment or shelters
  • Improved access to mental health services and community supports
Recommendation from County Administrator: Recommend Approval