By Dana Kazel
St. Louis County Public Health and Human Services has released its 2023 Community Impact Report, and for the first time, the annual summary of services is designed in an interactive online format.
Public Health and Human Services consists of five divisions, and the Community Impact Report provides a snapshot of the services provided by each, including Public Health, Children and Family Services, Economic Services and Supports, Home and Community Based Services, and Behavioral Health.
Public Health and Human Services assists thousands of individuals and families across the age spectrum every year, with the mission of protecting, promoting, and improving the health and quality of life in St Louis County.
Some examples from 2023 include:
. Public Health partnered with the American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO) and Fond du Lac Human Services to launch a communications campaign to enhance awareness of the HIV outbreak affecting Duluth and the surrounding areas.
. Children and Family Services worked to support families through voluntary prevention and early intervention programs, ultimately helping 1,894 children.
. The Behavioral Health Division provides services in four areas including adult mental health, substance use and recovery, housing and homelessness, and adult protection and guardianship. Staff supported expanded access to crisis stabilization (occupancy up to 69% and 76%) and utilization of the crisis response team and 988, with over 6,152 calls to crisis response and 2,883 responded to via the 988 hotline.
. Home and Community Based Services provides person-centered care for children and adults with needs related to disabilities, chronic illness, brain injuries, developmental disabilities, and aging. They helped 3,941 people explore these services through the MnCHOICES assessment and 2,591 people receive services through disability waivers.
. Economic Services and Supports, which administers state and federal assistance programs, worked to help people maintain health insurance coverage as Federal renewals began again after years of pandemic continuous eligibility. In 2023, financial workers assisted 31,102 St. Louis County recipients to complete the renewal process to maintain medical assistance.
"It's always a bit humbling to see this report and see both the level of need in our county as well as the outstanding response provided by our Public Health and Human Services team," said Commissioner Patrick Boyle. "We are helping children during those critically important developmental years, we are strengthening families and working with adults to overcome barriers, and we are supporting older residents so they can live as independently as possible. It's not easy work, but it's important work, and I'm grateful to our staff for the thoughtful job they do."
"This report is a great reminder to me and my staff of why our work is so important," said Linnea Mirsch, director of Public Health and Human Services. "We are working with people during vulnerable moments, and when we can connect them with the right assistance and supports, it can change the direction of their life and their children's lives, and ultimately leads to safer and healthier communities for us all."
To read the full Community Impact Report, visit slccommunityimpactreport.com.
