Olmsted County
Olmsted County has long provided state-level leadership among county governments for integrated human services. For more than 20 years, the county has offered whole family services to families at risk of being referred to the child protection system. The county launched supportive housing programs for young parents and troubled youth, and work specifically with fathers to assure adequate family connections.
Prototypes
Local community organization grantees work with families to create innovative program designs called “prototypes”, which address racial disparities in human services and outcomes facing the families in their community.
Pathways to Prosperity and Well-Being
Pathways to Prosperity and Well-Being was developed as a new practice model that will be implemented for parents under 30 and their young children who are eligible for or receiving publicly funded benefits including: Minnesota’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families supported cash assistance programs, child care assistance, child support, and/or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Pathways aims to transform national policy and practice in ways that better support the upward economic mobility of families with low incomes and reduce the consequences of generational poverty.
Integrated Service Assessment Tool Assessment
Olmsted County is documenting its practice model for young parents with histories of poverty, housing instability, child-welfare involvement or chronic physical or behavioral health needs. This included piloting and implementing an integrated service assessment tool that assesses families’ needs across various domains.
The FATHER Project
The FATHER Project serves underemployed fathers (both custodial/non-custodial) with barriers to employment and parenting time (e.g. criminal history, low income, mental health challenges or lack of education). The project supports fathers with education, developing a “father plan, or case plan with connections to community services, legal assistance, resume building, job skills, parenting groups and family or father activities and parenting skills. The FATHER Project helped county workers to hear peoples’ stories better, created shifts in defining success and self-sufficiency and provided fathers with more connections and relationships within the system. It resulted in more collaborative work, changing child support away from punitive models, and shifted how staff thought about the work while giving opportunities to grow as individuals and as an organization.
Master Lease Program
In September 2018, Olmsted County began using master lease programs to help community members experiencing barriers to acquire housing. Master leases allow leaseholders to rent to third parties of their choosing during the period of the master lease. Olmsted County's Housing and Redevelopment Authority has developed master leases with local property owners to provide housing to participants in Olmsted County social service pro- grams. The master lease provides a flexible way to supply lodging to people by removing obstacles to housing, while reducing risk for property owners.
Economic stability indicator
Olmsted County piloted a new financial "cliff forecaster" tool that helps county staff identify a family’s potential loss of benefits as income increases, so the county can help families identify resources to smooth out the abrupt changes of benefit cliffs and build their long-term financial stability.
Where are they now?
Through these efforts, Olmsted County has had the opportunity to reconsider business as usual. This is work that continues to evolve. Considering lessons learned during implementation and though the changing world, they are exploring what the future of these prototypes and related work may be – with a light shining brightly on the strengths of the families and community it serves.
The county’s efforts in this space will focus on building a well-connected and supported workforce primed to provide the person-centered customer service families and individuals deserve. In partnership with efforts across the county, staff are digging into the work of community engagement and elevating the expertise of lived experience to the decision-making table.
The county continues to seek opportunities to be innovative, while focusing on the fundamentals of the work.
News and resources
2-Generation Case Study, Issue 1 - Using master leasing to support Olmsted County families | Minnesota Department of Human Services and Olmsted County
In September 2018, Olmsted County began using master lease programs to provide shelter to community members experiencing barriers to housing. Master leases allow leaseholders to rent to third parties during the period of the master lease. Olmsted’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority has developed master leases with local property owners to provide housing to participants in two Olmsted County social service programs. The master lease provides a flexible way to supply lodging to people by removing obstacles to housing while reducing risk for property owners.
Integrated Services Assessment Tool | Minnesota Department of Human Services and Olmsted County
The Integrated Services Assessment Tool was created by Olmsted County, a 2-Gen grantee. The tool enables comprehensive family assessment across various domains (income, employment, health, etc.). The tool’s content was developed in partnership with Olmsted County, Dakota County (Maryland), Boulder County (Colorado), and stakeholders across Minnesota.