1998 Minnesota Statutes

     256E.08 Duties of county boards. 

    Subdivision 1.    Responsibilities.  The county board of 
 each county shall be responsible for administration, planning 
 and funding of community social services.  Each county board 
 shall singly or in combination with other county boards as 
 provided in section 256E.09 prepare a social services plan and 
 shall update the plan biennially.  Upon final approval of the 
 plan by the county board or boards, the plan shall be submitted 
 to the commissioner.  The county board shall distribute money 
 available pursuant to sections 256E.06 and 256E.07 for community 
 social services. 

    The authority and responsibilities of county boards for 
 social services for groups of persons identified in section 
 256E.03, subdivision 2, shall include contracting for or 
 directly providing: 

    (1) information about the symptoms and characteristics of 
 specific problems of the identified groups to increase 
 understanding and acceptance by the general public, to help 
 alleviate fears of seeking help, and to enable access to 
 appropriate assistance; 

    (2) an assessment of the needs of each person applying for 
 assistance which estimates the nature and extent of the problem 
 to be addressed and identifies the means available to meet the 
 person's needs.  These diagnostic and evaluation activities 
 shall evaluate the functioning of each person with regard to an 
 illness or disability, screen for placement, and determine the 
 need for services; 

    (3) protection aimed at alleviating urgent needs of each 
 person by determining urgent need, shielding persons in 
 hazardous conditions when they are unable to care for 
 themselves, and providing urgently needed assistance; 

    (4) supportive and rehabilitative activities that assist 
 each person to function at the highest level of independence 
 possible for the person, preferably without removing the person 
 from home.  These activities include coordinating with local 
 public rehabilitation agencies, local education agencies, and 
 other agencies, both to increase the client's level of 
 functioning and to maintain current levels of functioning; 

    (5) a means of facilitating access of physically 
 handicapped or impaired persons to activities appropriate to 
 their needs; and 

    (6) administrative activities to coordinate and facilitate 
 the effective use of formal and informal helping systems to best 
 address client needs and goals.  This includes assisting the 
 client in making informed decisions about opportunities and 
 services, assuring timely access to needed assistance, providing 
 opportunities and encouragement for self-help activities, and 
 coordinating all services to meet the client's needs and goals.  
 County case management shall be responsible for determining 
 appropriate care and activities. 

    A county board may delegate to a local social services 
 agency established under chapter 393 authority to provide or 
 approve contracts for the purchase of the kinds of community 
 social services that were provided or contracted for by the 
 county welfare boards before the enactment of Laws 1979, chapter 
 324. The county board must determine how citizens will 
 participate in the planning process, give final approval to the 
 community social services plan, and distribute community social 
 services money. 

    Subd. 2.    County staff.  The board may appoint a 
 director of community social services to serve at the pleasure 
 of the board and to perform the administrative functions 
 required of the board by sections 256E.01 to 256E.12.  The board 
 may assign to the director of community social services the 
 duties of the welfare director as described in section 393.04.  

    Subd. 3.    Administration of income maintenance programs. 
  The county board may designate itself, a human services 
 board, or a local social services agency to perform the 
 functions of local social services agencies as prescribed in 
 chapter 393 and assigned to county agencies in other law which 
 pertains to the administration of income maintenance programs 
 known as aid to families with dependent children, Minnesota 
 family investment program-statewide, general assistance, 
 Minnesota supplemental aid, medical assistance, general 
 assistance medical care, and emergency assistance.  

    Subd. 4.    Contracts for services.  The county board 
 may contract for community social services programs with a human 
 services board, a multicounty board established by a joint 
 powers agreement, other political subdivisions, or private 
 organizations.  The final approval of the community social 
 services plan required in section 256E.09 shall be made by the 
 county board of each county.  Nothing in this subdivision shall 
 be construed to negate any collective bargaining unit agreements 
 that are operative on July 1, 1979 between currently existing 
 exclusive representatives and the county.  

    Subd. 5.    Community social services fund.  In the 
 accounts and records of each county there shall be created a 
 community social services fund.  All money provided for 
 community social services programs under sections 256E.06 and 
 256E.07 and all other revenues; fees; grants-in-aid, including 
 those from public assistance programs identified in section 
 256E.03, subdivision 2, paragraph (b), that pay for services 
 such as child care, waivered services under the medical 
 assistance programs, alternative care grants, and other services 
 funded by these programs through federal or state waivers; 
 gifts; or bequests designated for community social services 
 purposes shall be identified in the record of the fund and in 
 the report required in subdivision 8.  This fund shall be used 
 exclusively for planning and delivery of community social 
 services as defined in section 256E.03, subdivision 2.  If 
 county boards have joined for purposes of administering 
 community social services, the county boards may create a joint 
 community social services fund.  If a human services board has 
 been established, the human services board shall account for 
 community social services money as required in chapter 402.  

    Subd. 6.    Fees for services.  The county board may 
 establish a schedule of fees based upon clients' ability to pay 
 to be charged to recipients of community social services.  
 Payment, in whole or in part, for services may be accepted from 
 any person except that no fee may be charged to persons or 
 families whose adjusted gross household income is below the 
 federal poverty level.  When services are provided to any 
 person, including a recipient of aids administered by the 
 federal, state or county government, payment of any charges due 
 may be billed to and accepted from a public assistance agency or 
 from any public or private corporation.  

    Subd. 7. Repealed, 1987 c 363 s 14 

    Subd. 8.    Reporting by counties.  Beginning in 
 calendar year 1980 each county shall submit to the commissioner 
 of human services a financial accounting of the county's 
 community social services fund, and other data required by the 
 commissioner under section 256E.05, subdivision 3, paragraph 
 (g), shall include:  

    (a) A detailed statement of income and expenses 
 attributable to the fund in the preceding quarter; and 

    (b) A statement of the source and application of all money 
 used for social services programs by the county during the 
 preceding quarter, including the expenditures for each service 
 provided, as required by the commissioner of human services.  

    In addition, each county shall submit to the commissioner 
 of human services no later than February 15 of each year, a 
 detailed balance sheet of the community social development fund 
 for the preceding calendar year.  

    If county boards have joined or designated human service 
 boards for purposes of providing community social services 
 programs, the county boards may submit a joint statement or the 
 human service board shall submit the statement, as applicable.  

    Subd. 9. Repealed, 1996 c 310 s 1 

    Subd. 10.    Intercounty cooperation.  Two or more 
 contiguous counties that are situated within the boundaries of 
 the same region designated pursuant to sections 462.381 to 
 462.396 or the metropolitan area as defined in section 473.121, 
 subdivision 2, and that have not established a human services 
 board may, by resolution of their respective county boards, 
 agree to combine into one board for social service purposes to 
 serve the counties that enter into the agreement.  The joint 
 board shall have the same powers, duties, and functions as the 
 individual county boards.  The term of the joint board, 
 withdrawal from the joint board, composition of the board, and 
 contribution to the expenses of the board shall be according to 
 the terms of the agreement.  Nothing in this section shall 
 prevent a county board from purchasing services from an agency 
 outside the boundaries of the Minnesota economic development 
 region in which it is situated.  A joint board established 
 pursuant to this section may encompass completely two regions.  
 Insofar as possible, social services which are jointly 
 administered shall be equally accessible to all residents of the 
 counties that are party to the agreement. 

    Subd. 11.    Use of community social services funds for 
 foster care.  If foster care services are described in a 
 county's community social services plan, the county may use 
 funds from its community social services fund to provide foster 
 care benefits on behalf of children for whom the county has 
 legal placement responsibility pursuant to court order or 
 voluntary placement agreement. 

    HIST: 1979 c 324 s 8; 1981 c 355 s 12-14; 1983 c 10 s 1; 1983 
 c 151 s 4; 1984 c 378 s 1; 1984 c 609 s 19; 1984 c 654 art 5 s 
 58; 1Sp1985 c 9 art 2 s 67; 1986 c 394 s 20; 1986 c 413 s 3; 
 1986 c 444; 1989 c 89 s 18,19; 1989 c 282 art 2 s 128; 1990 c 
 426 art 1 s 30; 1991 c 94 s 18; 1994 c 631 s 31; 1995 c 207 art 
 11 s 7; 1996 c 416 s 2; 1996 c 465 art 3 s 40; 1997 c 85 art 4 s 
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