It’s back to school time, and Sherburne County Health & Human Services (HHS) is trying its best to see that kids actually go to school.

 

 

HHS Director Mary Jo Cobb said years ago, the county contracted with a company called LSS to do something similar. The program, called the Youth Intervention Program (YIP), was solely funded by the county.

 

“But when budget cuts came, the program went away,” said Cobb.

 

In 2012, the county contracted with 180 Degrees, but not for early intervention. It was to work with kids who had already been through the system and had been judged as delinquent. The additional support focused on “high-intensity cases” and was effective in helping relieve some of the caseloads.

 

“But that did nothing to reduce our numbers. Our truancy numbers just keep going up,” said Cobb.

 

Currently, the truancy social worker has a caseload of between 45 and 50 youth, with an estimated 75% of her time spent with five to 10 students who have significant mental health/chemical dependency and family support needs. In addition, there are about 100 pending cases of other students who have been involved with the Sherburne County Attendance Review Board (SARB) who might still have truancy petitions filed.

 

By comparison, the average caseload for a mental health worker is 15. It’s 10 to 12 for a child protection social worker.

 

Under the contract with 180 Degrees, a truancy worker would be housed an average of one day a week in the Becker, Big Lake, Elk River and St. Cloud secondary schools in Sherburne County.

 

“That person would push kids to get to school, contact them at home, talk with the assistant principal and if things progress, intervene by following up with the kids individually and their families to help them access support services early on,” said Cobb. “The hope is this will prevent a lot of truancy petitions and allow our truancy social worker to focus on the kids who need the most help.”

 

Cobb said preventing petitions can save the county money by reducing court costs, time spent with judges, the county attorney’s office, court administration and preventing out-of-home placement costs.

 

The contract amount is $59,958 for the 2014-2015 school year, but will not require a budget increase. There is currently $40,000 in the HHS budget for truancy. Cobb said the four school districts have each committed $5,000 and the Three Rivers Community Foundation has granted $2,000 to support the program.

 

In other action the board:

• Authorized the county attorney to sign a $52,000 grant agreement for the Office of Justice Crime Victim Services;

 

• Proclaimed September as Substance Abuse Recovery Month; 

 

• Approved a hire rate of $22 per hour for Anthony Greseth as help desk technician in the Information Technology Dept.;

 

• Approved the simple preliminary and final residential plat for Thelens Territory, consisting of three lots on 34.32 acres near 206th Street NW and 226th Ave. in Big Lake Twp.;

 

• Approved an interim use permit for Burgoyne Investment Holding LLC to operate a used auto sales business on 2.10 acres off Hwy. 169 in the commercial district of  Livonia Twp.