At-risk youth and families
Stearns County’s innovative approach to preventing child maltreatment and keeping youth out of the criminal justice system earned the Human Services Department a County Achievement Award from the Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC) for excellence and innovation.
Recognized by AMC as an “outstanding program,” the Family and Children’s Integrated Services Model proactively engages at-risk youth and families early. It targets high-acuity youth with significant behavioral and mental health needs who are at risk of being placed in hospitals, jails, or county facilities due to a lack of appropriate community services.
Using a multi-disciplinary approach, the model brings together schools, law enforcement, healthcare providers, -mental health professionals, probation officers, and social services staff to intervene early. These collaborative efforts help build a sense of belonging and success with youth and families.
Since its implementation in 2022, the program has achieved remarkable results:
• A reduction of over $1 million in out-of-home placement costs.
• A 24% decrease in the number of children entering care.
Before the program launched, 22 children spent a total of 67 days housed in a county building while staff struggled to find placement options.
This approach safeguards -children, and ensures that the families and youth served are at the forefront. It has paved the way for early identification and prevention efforts that significantly enhance the well-being of our community’s most vulnerable members.
“We are focused on improving the lives and health of youth and families in our community along with the support and -collaboration from our community members,” said Human -Services Administrator Melissa Huberty. “We are driven to be part of system change that finds pathways out of poverty and addresses systemic issues before the most expensive, deep-end and traumatic services are involved so that better outcomes occur, and families and youth are better off than before services were offered.”
Stearns County’s program was one of four recognized by AMC.