The St. Louis County Family Services Collaborative brings service systems together to coordinate and integrate resources and services for children, youth, and families.
About Us
Collaboratives were envisioned and created as an approach to:
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Address the needs of children faced with complex problems
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Maximize results and resources by enhancing coordination and reducing duplication among systems
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Involve communities, particularly families, in system redesign and implementation so their needs are effectively met.
Through a comprehensive planning process, each Family Services Collaborative “must design and implement an integrated local service delivery system for children and their families that coordinates services across agencies and is client centered. The delivery system shall provide a continuum of services for children birth to age 18, or birth through age 21 for individuals with disabilities.”
Family Services and Community-Based Collaboratives (Minnesota Statute 124D.23)
In 1993 the Minnesota Legislature established the roles and responsibilities for these collaboratives. Mandatory partners include counties, school districts, public health, community action programs and Head Start. These partners work together to meet goals to address the health, educational, developmental and family-related needs of children and youth.
Family Services Collaboratives strive to:
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Improve outreach and early identification
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Coordinate assessments and services across agencies
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Integrate funding and resources.
For more information on MN Collaboratives, please visit:
"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
Northern St. Louis County Collaborative
The Northern St. Louis County Family Service Collaborative includes an Interagency Agreement between Arrowhead Regional Corrections, St. Louis County Health and Human Services, Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency (AEOA), Hibbing Public Schools and St. Louis County Public Schools. The Collaborative was established in 1995 by ISD 2142 - St. Louis County Schools and merged with the Hibbing Collaborative in 2002.
Southern St. Louis County Collaborative
The Southern St. Louis County Family Service Collaborative includes an Interagency Agreement with Arrowhead Regional Corrections, St. Louis County Health and Human Services, Community Action Duluth, AEOA, Duluth Schools and Proctor Schools. The Collaborative was established in 1995 with the help of: the St. Louis County Board of Commissioners' Task Force for Children and Youth; and the City of Duluth's Child and Youth Implementation Task Force.
Minnesota Collaboratives Overview
