About Us
“Nationwide, the collaborative model continues to be a best practice”
DHS – Children’s Mental Health Division
“There is a genuine & growing recognition that any chance we have of creating better results for children depends on working across systems and across levels of government”
Mark Friedman - Fiscal Policy Studies Institute
Statewide Collaborative Priorities
MN COLLABORATIVE HISTORY:
In 1991, Governor Arne Carlson created a statewide task force to develop a vision for Minnesota children and families, including recommendations on needed changes in service delivery systems. The task force findings led to change efforts at both the state and local levels. At the executive level, a Children’s Cabinet was formed including Commissioners from eleven different state agencies that deal with issues concerning children. The purpose of the Cabinet is to create a flexible system for effective administration of services that avoids fragmentation and duplication, and facilitates cooperation among state agencies, local government, and the private sector.
Soon after, the State offered grants as incentives for the development of “locally-driven service delivery partnerships that help communities come together to improve results for children and families”. Locally-driven service delivery partnerships help communities come together to improve results for Minnesota’s children and families. Minnesota hopes to increase the number and percentage of infants and children who are healthy, children who come to school ready to learn, families able to provide a healthy and stable environment for their children and children who excel in academic skills.
The collaborative initiatives were founded on three key themes related to system reforms:
- Interagency Collaboration
- A Results Orientation
- A Strength or Assets-based Approach
Collaboratives have a variety of funding sources for their integrated funds beyond the initial state grants. Beginning in April of 1997, state funds were enhanced as federal reimbursements became available to support collaboratives in Minnesota through the Local Collaborative Time Study (LCTS).
Today there are 93 Family Service and/or Children’s Mental Health Collaboratives serving children and families in about 84 counties throughout the State of Minnesota.
Two Family Service Collaboratives serve St. Louis County: The Northern St. Louis County Family Service Collaborative and the Southern St. Louis County Family Service Collaborative. Each of these Collaboratives is “locally driven” and has developed their own unique character within the broader goals of Collaboratives in general.
Northern St. Louis County Family Service Collaborative history
Southern St. Louis County Family Service Collaborative history
