W Minnesota » Systems integration

Agency integration, 2016

• Child welfare

  Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS)

  Does not centralize child welfare administration services at the state level.

• Integration level

  One or all are decentralized

• Juvenile corrections

  Minnesota Department of Corrections

  Does not centralize administration of delinquency services at the state level.

Coordination, 2014

• Uses for coordination
• Does not use for coordination

• Data sharing

  Facilitated through the use of statewide information systems allowing for consistent data sharing between systems.

• Committees or advisory groups

  Multidisciplinary groups that often have regularly scheduled meetings to brainstorm ways to improve systems integration.

• Formal interagency MOUs

  Collaborative agreements to guide systems integration efforts

• Informal interagency agreements

  Commonly based on historical practice, mutual trust, and recognition of the need to collaborate in order to serve dual-status youth.

• Statute and/or rules

  Rules that mandate systems integration efforts

Summary

In Minnesota, live data sharing occurs via a statewide court information system between the delinquency and dependency courts. Judges and court staff can access delinquency and dependency court files in their county because the state court system is going paperless they soon will be able to access delinquency and dependency court files in other counties.

Child protection (dependency) data, and some delinquency data, is shared between the Department of Human Services and State Court Administrator's Office. Local probation officers and the public can use the Judicial Branch public access portal to view files of delinquency proceedings if the youth is age 16 or older and is charged as a felon.

There is no policy requiring court staff to identify dual status youth. However, because of the statewide best practice of one-family one-judge, court staff typically identify dual status youth and schedule one hearing at which both matters are heard simultaneously. This simultaneous scheduling allows parties and attorneys and professionals (e.g., GALs, probation officers, etc.) from both cases to attend one hearing at which the child's best interests can be considered.

Additionally, five counties (Carver, Hennepin, Kandiyohi, Olmsted and Stearns) are participating in Georgetown University's Crossover Youth Practice Model.

Reported data