St. Louis County Public Health & Human Services
Behavioral Health, Children & Family Services, Economic Services & Supports,
Home & Community Based Services, and Public Health
VISION
MISSION
Our goal is to help people achieve a better life. We do this by helping people we serve overcome – or make progress despite – the obstacles blocking their path to self-sufficiency and by working in partnership to improve the health of our entire community.
Sometimes individuals and communities face challenges that affect their health and quality of life. St. Louis County Public Health and Human Services works to prevent those challenges and offers a helping hand when life’s obstacles seem insurmountable. We guide people through their challenges and direct them to appropriate resources.
Service Centers
Our role in serving the community
2025 PHHS Revenues
Integrating Grant Funding
Public Health & Human Services divisions actively look for funding opportunities to support the work that we do to serve our communities, which helps reduce property tax pressures on local taxpayers.
Behavioral Health
Children & Family Services
Home & Community
Based Services
Public Health
PHHS Department TOTAL
Public trust, fiscal stewardship, and fraud prevention
St. Louis County is committed to maintaining public trust and upholding our mission of being respectful, innovative, and fiscally responsible. That means pairing timely access to services with strong financial stewardship—clear eligibility and program requirements, robust contract and payment controls, documentation and oversight, staff training, and routine monitoring and audits. We also partner closely with state oversight entities, promptly report suspected fraud, waste, or abuse, and continuously strengthen processes so public dollars are used as intended and critical services remain available for the residents who rely on them.
Spotlight: Minnesota Fraud Prevention Investigation (FPI) program
One way St. Louis County advances this work is through Minnesota’s Fraud Prevention Investigation (FPI) program, administered by the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) Office of Inspector General. Through FPI, DHS funds and partners with counties to investigate recipient fraud in public benefit programs—helping ensure benefits go to eligible households while supporting accountability across programs such as SNAP, cash and other assistance, and health care. In St. Louis County, this work is focused on preventing fraud where possible, investigating credible concerns, and coordinating with state partners when cases require administrative action or referral—strengthening the integrity of our programs and protecting resources for the community.
In 2025, St. Louis County completed
investigations, resulting in fraud detection and an estimated
in savings or cost avoidance.
Behavioral Health
Adult mental health
Substance use and recovery
Housing and homelessness
Adult protection and guardianship
A snapshot of some of our work
Crisis Services
In Southern SLC, Yellow Leaf has 12 crisis stabilization beds, with a yearly average occupancy of
Crisis Stabilization is a critical service that is utilized across the county.
In Northern SLC, Wellstone has 10 crisis stabilization beds, with an average occupancy rate of
Walk-in Services at 810 East 4th Street in Duluth is a collaboration between Brightwater Health, Center for Alcohol and Drug Treatment, and Children’s Dental Services.
people were served in 2025, with immediate support for mental health and substance use crises, stabilizing individuals and families and connecting people to long-term solutions.
Crisis response providers, county staff, and law enforcement work with 911 dispatch to offer crisis response services to callers who do not need a police response. 988 also receives direct calls from the community.
Calls to crisis response for information, referrals, warm line services or the crisis response team:
Northern SLC received
calls to crisis response and
Southern SLC received
calls to crisis response and
St. Louis County has three Assertive Community Teams (community-based mental health services).
This diagram shows the services provided by these teams. Accessing community recreation and family involvement are important aspects of improving mental health and decreasing loneliness and isolation. This year, participants visited the Carlton County Fair, EngerTower, Bentleyville, and Gooseberry Falls, went bowling, picnicked in local parks, and explored a corn maze. One team had a community picnic for participants and families. Participants had many positive things to say about these events, including: “It’s awesome…I get to meet people and stuff.”; “I like the livelihood.”; “ I just like to get out and do something extra that I wouldn’t do by myself.”; “It’s fun.” The goal of these activities is to inspire people to access the community independently or with friends. Family support and participation in the lives of people receiving services is an important support.
The Benefits of Speciality Courts
There are five specialty courts across the county, and each one includes a dedicated social worker who provides intensive case management and support. One participant’s story shows the impact this approach can have. For years, she cycled through contact with many systems—law enforcement, treatment providers, and social services—and often left treatment early or disappeared while trying to manage her addiction. About a year ago, she decided she was done running and wanted to be sober and rebuild her life. While she was in treatment, she was referred to a specialty court and began participating by video. After treatment, she worked with 211 to find stable housing and moved in with her two emotional support animals. Today, she attends therapy and participates in substance use treatment three times a week. She also volunteers in the community and regularly attends Recovery Alliance Duluth events, often stepping in to help others. Over the past year, she has stayed sober, strengthened her relationships with family, kept up with medical and dental care, and even opened her first bank account. She recently passed the state Peer Recovery Specialist exam and is now certified. She continues to participate in specialty court with a positive, engaged attitude, and she is on track to graduate this spring—an inspiring example of perseverance and recovery.
Support from the Adult Protection Team
Adult Protection received a report that a young adult was being financially exploited by a family member. The family member had planned to maintain the family home and have the young adult live with them, but instead the home was lost and the young adult’s savings and Social Security funds were misused. After the home was lost, the young adult was left without stable support and moved in with a disabled uncle. Adult Protection then received concerns that this living arrangement was not sustainable and that the young adult might have to leave—putting him at risk of homelessness. The Adult Protection team acted quickly. They helped the young adult access waiver services, worked with the uncle’s housing management to stabilize the living situation, provided groceries until SNAP benefits were in place, and helped ensure outstanding legal matters in another state were being addressed. With this coordinated support, the team helped secure services and prevent homelessness for the young adult.
HOUSING & HOMELESSNESS
Here are a few snapshots:
To provide assistance to prevent homelessness, emergency shelter, permanent supportive and transitional housing, St. Louis County applied for and coordinated over $5 million through competitive state and federal funding to support local community organizations. This includes federal funds from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and state funds from the MN Department of Human Services (DHS) and Minnesota Housing Finance Agency (MHFA)/Minnesota Housing.
Plover Place opened in Duluth
Plover Place consists of 24 units of permanent supportive housing designed for single adults who have experienced long-term homelessness. St. Louis County Commissioners provided key funding through American Rescue Plan Act funds along with the City of Duluth. Other partners include One Roof as the builder/developer, and the Salvation Army as the ongoing operator, owner, and service provider of Plover Place. Photo courtesy Samantha Wunch.
Our Housing and Homelessness Programs team works behind the scenes to support the critical work of our partners across the continuum from prevention, shelter and street outreach to navigation services and permanent supportive housing.
Supporting Homeless Youth
We are working with partners and stakeholders across sectors and PHHS divisions to address youth homelessness. Components of this work include, but are not limited to:
The SLC Youth Action Board (YAB) is successfully underway! They are a group of young people (ages 16-25) with lived experience of homelessness/housing instability. They are currently finalizing a report that does a deep dive into opportunities and gaps specific to young people in our housing and homelessness system.
Children & Family Services
The Children and Family Services Division works with children and their families, with the goal of keeping children in their homes and in the care of people with whom they have an existing relationship. We partner with families to provide preventive services, supportive resources, intervention, and, when necessary, placements to ensure safety, permanency and well-being for children.
VISION
All children in our community flourish because families are able to safely care for and meet their needs.
MISSION
We strive to keep children in their homes and in the care of people with whom they have an existing relationship. We partner with families to provide preventative services, supportive resources, interventions and, when necessary, placements to ensure safety, permanency and well-being for children.
Click the icons below to learn more.
Placement Discharges in 2025
Click image to enlarge
Keeping Families Safely Together
Children and Family Services (CFS) is working to improve earlier intervention and prevention efforts with the hope of decreasing child maltreatment and out-of-home placements for children. This requires building a comprehensive prevention continuum that can meet the needs of all children and families.
Hover over the sections below to learn more.
Click the sections below to learn more.
Parent Support Outreach Program
Family Support Services
Public Health Home Visiting partnerships
Children’s Mental Health Case Management
Intensive Family Based Services
Safe at Home, Connected to School
In 2025, Children and Family Services planned a new Family Preservation unit to better support children and families facing school attendance challenges and in-home child protection concerns. The unit reflects a positive shift away from court-focused responses and toward early, family-centered support. Staff work alongside families, schools, and community partners to understand what’s getting in the way—and connect families with the help they need. The focus is on keeping children safe at home, connected to school, and supported through challenges. The overarching goals of the Family Preservation Unit is to help families address concerns sooner, build trust, and strengthen community partnerships, supporting better outcomes for children today and into the future.
Strengthening Community Connections
St. Louis County Children and Family Services values community engagement and partnership. In 2025, social workers and foster care licensors participated in a number of community events across the county to share information and resources about voluntary programs and to answer questions about becoming a licensed foster parent. Employees attended many National Night Out events, Youth Mental Health Night at Ironworld, Community Steps, Community Connect, and others. Social workers from child welfare program areas shared information and answered questions about how services can support families, while foster care licensors answered questions about what is required to become a foster parent.
If you are interested in having a St. Louis County program join a community event, please email PHHS@stlouiscountymn.gov.
Fostering Relationships
Economic Services
& Supports
The Economic Services and Supports (ESS) Division administers state and federal programs that provide assistance to those in need. This includes medical care, food, cash, child care, child support, and emergency assistance.
Over
was issued for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
ESS provided
The county assisted with
the final interment of
The Minnesota Family Investment Program provided
Supporting Parents With Child Support
ESS assisted
Total number of children served:
Total number of child support staff (includes cooperative agreements if applicable):
Home & Community-
Based Services
Here’s a snapshot of some of the ways we serve our community:
The MnCHOICES
intake team triaged
People receive Semi-Independent Living Services (SILS)
children/young adults served through a Family Support Grant with a total budget of
Our work is person-focused
2025 highlights
The MnCHOICES Intake team serves as a front door for residents seeking long-term services and support related to aging and disability. This team of three social workers responds quickly—often right away or within a few hours—and triages over 7,000 calls per year, connecting people to information and the next steps to access services. This team also serves as community ambassadors for St. Louis County’s Home and Community-Based Services division, providing outreach and presentations on eligibility, program access, and service options. In 2025, they shared resources at community gatherings, churches, housing sites and local employers. They also provided informational sessions for internal county teams.
Photo: Pictured are members of the MnCHOICES Intake and Initial Assessment team at a community event.
Community First Services and Supports
On October 1, 2024, the Minnesota Department of Human Services launched the Community First Services and Supports (CFSS) program. CFSS is a Minnesota Healthcare program designed to provide individuals with more choice, control and flexibility in their community-based services. It aims to help people live more independently in their communities. This program is replacing the Personal Care Assistance (PCA) program. As part of our safety net support, we have dedicated staff helping people navigate this complex transition.
Lead Agency Employment First Capacity-Building Grant – First Year Review
In 2023, the Legislature created the Minnesota Lead Agency Employment First Capacity-Building Grant program to support lead agencies in building capacity to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities. The grant program’s overarching goal is to expand lead agency capacity to help individuals with disabilities contemplate, explore, and maintain competitive integrated employment. St. Louis County was selected to participate, with implementation beginning in 2024.
St. Louis County hired a dedicated, grant-funded social worker to lead implementation and provide employment-focused consultation across the agency. They strengthened case manager capacity through targeted training in Employment First principles, benefits and work education, and motivational interviewing. They enhanced collaboration through regular meetings with case management staff, provider agencies, and Minnesota Vocational Rehabilitation Services. Provider capacity-building efforts have focused on strengthening benefits planning and expanding access to employment services.
Together, these strategies have resulted in a 70% increase—35 additional authorizations—since July 2024, in waiver-paid employment services, far exceeding the original 5% goal. This lays a strong foundation for continued growth and impact in the year ahead.
This was developed with the support of the Lead Agency Employment First Capacity-Building Grant from the Minnesota Department of Human Services Disability Services Division.
Photo: Pictured above are SLC Case Management Supervisors along with Bob Wagner and Andrea Zuber from MTI.
“From Bus Ticket to Belonging”- A Collaborative Success
Phillip arrived in Duluth by bus from Texas with no plan and a significant need for support. An adult with autism, he was taken in by a Good Samaritan who helped him start the process of getting connected in St. Louis County. The MnCHOICES Intake team gathered his information to initiate an assessment. Adult Protection helped with key paperwork and financial steps, and a county psychologist completed an evaluation to ensure the right referrals. Once the pieces came together, Phillip was connected to a waiver case manager and began touring community residential services (CRS) options.
Soon after, Phillip could no longer stay with the Good Samaritan and spent a weekend at the CHUM Center, where staff made sure he felt safe and supported. When the CRS provider learned he was there, they expedited their intake process, and Phillip was able to move to his new home. Since then, Phillip has been thriving—building friendships, enjoying outings with housemates, and discovering a level of independence his family didn’t think was possible. He’s now exploring employment and day support services. He’s embraced Minnesota life—right down to shoveling and chipping ice to earn a little extra money. Phillip’s story is what happens when compassion and coordination meet: a vulnerable arrival becomes stability, belonging and real possibility.
Public Health
OUR VISION
Every resident has the opportunity to live their healthiest life.
We work to improve the health and well-being of every resident by promoting healthy communities, preventing disease, protecting against health risks, and fostering partnerships.
OUR MISSION
Some of the ways Public Health Follows the Foundational Public Health Responsibilities Framework to support the health needs of our community:
Communicable Disease Control
Preventing and controlling the spread of infectious diseases
Through partnerships with community organizations and coalitions, Public Health provides testing opportunities, referrals for treatment, education, vaccinations, and resources to prevent and control the spread of sexually transmitted infections and other infectious diseases.
Administered 105 Hepatitis C tests at community partner sites and events.
Developed 7 provider newsletters that were sent to over 100 recipients from healthcare settings, colleges, and corrections.
Administered 94 syphilis tests at community partner sites and events.
We continue to promote and provide immunizations according to the recommendations of professional medical associations.
- Administered over 130 vaccinations to 70 adults and children through the Minnesota Vaccine for Children and Uninsured/Underinsured Adult vaccination programs.
- Vaccines provided at community partner sites and events, including Community Connects at Damiano Center, SLC jail, NERCC, and Home on the Range.
Chronic Disease AND Injury Prevention
Promoting healthy communities and healthy behaviors through activities that improve health in a population
Substance Misuse
Through our substance misuse prevention work, we collaborate with partners to provide leadership and technical assistance, understand gaps, leverage surveillance of data trends, promote education, and support community prevention efforts. We aim to shift misperceptions and stigma and establish harm reduction as a prevention strategy.
Cannabis education presentations provided to 1,040 students across 6 schools.
medication lock boxes were distributed to families to aid in preventing accidental medication and drug ingestion, while reminding families to keep medications and mind-altering substances out of reach of children.
902
Opioid and substance use disorder presentations provided to 1,730 students across 6 schools.
community members trained in overdose response/naloxone administration.
90
Speaking of Cannabis Campaign
The Speaking of Cannabis regional communications campaign was developed in partnership with Carlton, Cook, and Lake counties to provide cannabis education for parents, caregivers, mentors, and other trusted adults.
The campaign targets three areas of information:
- Understand how cannabis can affect the developing brain.
- Talk with teens in your life about not using cannabis.
- Store cannabis products safely locked up and out of reach of children
The campaign was promoted through social media ads, posters, window clings, and rack cards in local cannabis and low-potency THC retailers.
Up & Away Campaign
This campaign reached
Mental Health
We promote positive mental health by offering technical assistance to community organizations and partners regarding mental health awareness, suicide prevention, local policies and procedures. Our public health staff works with local partners, recognizing that building community health requires careful planning, information-sharing, and many skilled contributors.
We conducted
7
759
We had
110
unique engagements with the community through coalition meetings, education sessions, community health assessment interviews, and community events.
In 2025, we expanded our connection to the community by establishing the St. Louis County Suicide Prevention Coalition. There are 10 organizations directly involved in the coalition, with many more citizens and organizations engaged on the periphery.
Perinatal Health
Recognizing the need for more seamless, coordinated support around mental health and substance use for perinatal families, Public Health launched the SLC Perinatal Collaborative. This partnership brings together doctors, nurses, social workers, addiction counselors, and other providers to learn best practices and work together to break down silos of care. We currently have over 80 stakeholders involved in this initiative, with 20-30 attendees regularly participating in our monthly meetings. This group remains dedicated to achieving better outcomes for families. The Collaborative hosted a Perinatal Substance Use Summit with Wilderness Health in October and developed a webpage to connect families to local, regional, and state resources.
Blue Dot March
Serving the aging adult population
Through our Aging & Adult Health work, we support efforts that make our county a better place to grow older. We can all benefit from additional supports that keep us connected to our communities, allow us to share the skills and knowledge we’ve built over our lifetimes, and help us thrive as we age. We work with local partners, residents, and leaders to make their communities more age-friendly – a place where people of all ages can live, work, and thrive.
Sponsored a monthly Lunch and Learn program at the Hibbing Public Library, which included assisting with setting up 11 presenters for the series, and reaching 152 community members.
Provided care coordination to 5,494 Blue Plus members in the community and nursing facilities, with an average of 458 members per month. Blue Plus is one of the managed care plans available to the age 65+ population on Medical Assistance in our county.
Assisted 4 northern communities to enter the Age-Friendly network, including providing a community assessment, reviewing results alongside the community team, and helping to create an action plan.
Conducted a Community Co-Design project focused on “Ambiguous Loss” in older adults, which involved 42 community conversations and two community forum listening sessions.
Co-led the Northland Senior Care Network in southern St. Louis County, bringing together over 200 providers and community organizations to focus on sharing resources for the aging population, through four in-person meetings and six newsletters.
Provided 8 presentations, tabled at 16 events, conducted one radio interview, and distributed just under 1,000 folders with information to empower older adults to be more prepared in an emergency.
Protect against Environmental Health Hazards
Addressing aspects of the environment that pose risks to human health
Public Health Nurses responded to 56 cases of acute lead toxicity in children and pregnant women; worked with health partners to abate environmental risks and address lead toxicity.
Public Health staff followed up on 62 animal bite reports in St. Louis County for the prevention of rabies infections and 7 public health nuisance complaints.
Due to St. Louis County having rates of poorly controlled asthma that are higher than state average, we continued to offer 1:1 Asthma Home Visiting services. This allows us to offer individualized asthma education, assess the home environment for potential asthma triggers, and provide guidance on proper medication usage and techniques. We are able to provide income eligible families with durable medical equipment such as air purifiers, vacuum cleaners, and protective items for mattresses and pillows.
Engaged in follow up on 133 referrals related to acute lead toxicity. We worked in partnership with local media to share information and stories on families directly impacted by elevated blood lead levels. We also participated in a community education session in Hibbing regarding drinking water and lead.
Access to and Linkage with Clinical Care
Assuring access and availability to health services
2,436
154
Maternal, Child, And Family Health
Promoting healthy families and healthy behaviors through activities that improve maternal and early childhood health
802
4,067
2,460
Served 114 clients between the ages of 0 and 5 through the Follow Along Program and completed 260 screenings to identify children at risk of developmental delays and made appropriate referrals as needed.
2,000
Farmers Market Nutrition Program coupons to St. Louis County WIC participants, which were redeemed at 5 farmers markets within St. Louis County, resulting in $2,505 of fresh produce purchased from local farmers.
26 Public Health Nurses from across the region received in-person training from the two St. Louis County Nurses who updated the Physical Assessment process for pregnancy, postpartum, and infant assessments used during home visits. This tool is one example of how Public Health Nurses utilize medical skills in addition to perinatal training.
South St. Louis County Peer Breastfeeding Counselors, Amara and Christina
The Peer Breastfeeding Program
supports lactating participants in the WIC program through individual support and community lactation training opportunities. St. Louis County peer counselors served 183 clients in 2025 with one-on-one breastfeeding support.
With peer breastfeeding counselor support:
- 100% of WIC clients initiate breastfeeding compared to 82.6% of WIC clients who did not receive support.
- At 3 months postpartum, 81.4% of peer supported WIC clients were still breastfeeding compared to 52% of WIC clients who did not receive support.
Emergency Preparedness and Response
Preparing and responding to public health emergencies
Safety & Risk and Public Health staff gather to respond to an incident.
- In 2025, Public Health supported multiple emergency responses, including a partial apartment collapse in Eveleth—deploying staff with Emergency Management and helping place six families in hotel rooms until the building was deemed safe.
- The largest response was the Munger Shaw and Brimson Complex wildfires, where Public Health helped operate the Emergency Operations Center, staffed two Temporary Evacuation Points, provided evacuation updates, and helped residents find lodging.
Emergency Response
Training and preparedness
Our Public Health team trains every year so we’re ready to act when disasters hit.
- Over 60% of staff earned Mental Health First Aid certification, strengthening our ability to recognize and respond to mental health or substance use needs during and after emergencies.
- Expanded our capacity for shelter readiness through Shelter Management training (30 county staff, plus 14 from partner counties) and Shelter Fundamentals training (76 Northeast Region participants).
- To support preparedness at home, we partnered with Aging and Adult Health to deliver education for older adults, distributed 500+ preparedness guides, and expanded outreach through a new Emergencies website and public messaging.
Shelter Management Training
Public Health and Human Services depends on, and is grateful for, the support of:
- The Public Health and Human Services Advisory Committee and other advisory committees and community coalitions.
- The dedicated community partners throughout our county.
- The Carlton-Cook-Lake-St. Louis Community Health Board.
- The St. Louis County Board.