DEPARTMENT: Social Services-Aging & Disability Services
FILE TYPE: Consent Action
TITLE
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Authorization To Accept Grant Funds From Minnesota Department Of Human Services For Workforce Shortage Efforts, Execute Grant Agreement, And Amend 2024 Social Services Budget
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PURPOSE/ACTION REQUESTED
Authorize acceptance of grant funds from the Minnesota Department of Human Services for Workforce Shortage efforts, execution of the grant agreement, and an amendment to the 2024 Social Services Budget.
SUMMARY
Dakota County created a time limited Workforce and Provider Shortage workgroup from November 2022 through June 2023 to work collaboratively with stakeholders to address the shortage of workers impacting people with disabilities. The workgroup was led by Commissioner Laurie Halverson and Commissioner Mary Liz Holberg along with Social Services Leadership and consisted of people with disabilities, their family members, state agency leaders and private sector leaders. The workgroup focused on learning about the impact the workforce shortage is having on people with disabilities through listening sessions, learning about what others are doing at a local and statewide level to address the workforce shortage, and brainstorming potential solutions that Dakota County could implement. As part of this work thirteen recommendations were identified and presented to the County Board in July 2023 and are included in the Attachment: Workforce Shortage Workgroup Recommendations Summary.
Dakota County's 2024 legislative priorities included a request for a direct appropriation to support the implementation of these recommendations. During the 2024 legislative session the legislature approved MN Law Chapter 125; Article 8; Sec.2; Subd 14; paragraph b that awards Dakota County with the following: $500,000 in fiscal year 2025 is for a grant to Dakota County for innovative solutions to the disability services workforce shortage. Up to $250,000 of this amount must be used to develo...
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