Staff photo by Fritz Busch
Brown County commissioners received a behavioral health program update Tuesday. Bridge on Center, 1113 Center, is pictured. The facility provides a safe place for individuals with mental illness to socialize, participate in activities and learn new things.
NEW ULM — Brown County commissioners learned about the needs and strengths of county behavioral health programs during a program update Tuesday.
Brown County Social Services Supervisor Julie Hogen said entry level county social service positions don’t pay very well and have high turnover, so it’s hard to keep staff in those jobs.
“We have quite a few therapists, but they all have waiting lists right now. Workforce shortages and turnover affect all the programs we try to support our clients with,” she said. “There is limited access to medication providers and transportation providers are disappearing. It’s really hard to find any funded transportation for clients, especially if they have to go out of Brown County.
Hogen said many case managers do the transporting, because there is no other way to get people where they need to go.
She said there are limited resources for children who can’t safely function in a traditional home or school.
“We’ve been lucky. We don’t have any kids placed out of state yet. Two facilities closed in the last couple weeks,” said Hogen. “Low-income housing is disappearing. Many Brown County apartment buildings switched to unrestricted pricing that were previously subsidized.”
She said Brown County is fortunate to have New Ulm Medical Center and its behavioral health unit with day treatment for mental health and substance use.
“We have a lot of clients that benefit from those programs,” said Hogen. “We have a mobile crisis team in Mankato with an office in Sleepy Eye. We have a very strong food shelf network and Heart to Home, a service we could not survive without. We call them and they provide the homeless who get the first apartment with furniture, even kitchen utensils. It’s great.”
Heart to Home Furnishings is a non-profit organization that shares gently-used household items with Brown County residents in need.
Bridge on Center opened at 1113 Center St. in September 2000 to provide a safe place to for individuals with serious, persistent mental illness to socialize, take part in group activities and learn new things.
Bridge on Center activities include shopping, visits to restaurants, parks, historical sites, school and community events. Activities with nine other counties include bowling, day camp, the Minnesota Science Museum, Minnesota Twins games and the Minnesota State Fair.
Bridge on Center members are referred from Brown County Human Services case managers, doctors and other mental health professionals.
A video was shown that featured Bridge on Center members who said being around others has been a good support system, makes them feel better about themselves because they have a place to socialize.
NEW ULM — Brown County commissioners learned Tuesday that when a child is referred to Brown County Human Services …
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