Vail Communities says new state and private funding will keep its Minneapolis and St. Paul clubhouses open for now after the nonprofit faced closure.
The nonprofit said the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) surprised them in a March letter by saying more money was off the table, leaving Vail Communities facing closure as of this month.
Following 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS reporting in April, DHS has seemingly reversed course in the nick of time to keep the mental health support hubs, known as clubhouses, open while the nonprofit works on a more permanent solution.
“That was like, yay, it’s a good update,” said member Sara Sprenger.
Sprenger said the change, which came at the end of May, was a surprise too, adding that at the time, staff was prepared for job losses and members were losing hope that the clubhouses could find a way to stay open.
“And then all of a sudden, it just got restored with a little money. A lot of money, actually,” said Sprenger.
What changed?
DHS emailed 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS saying it secured $400,000 in “bridge funding” to keep Vail Communities operating through the end of the year.
“I think a lot of the community pressure helped make that shift,” said Ashley Trepp, president and executive director of Vail Communities.
“I wish we hadn’t had to get to the crisis point to be able to have that good news,” she continued. “If anything, it really rallied us around our mission and really validated the fact that our, as I said, our mission matters.”
Trepp also said a community member who saw news coverage of the possible closure donated another $500,000. Benefactor Corey Sauer had not heard of Vail Communities before reading about it in the news, according to Trepp.
“It was really surreal and almost too good to be true,” said Trepp. “It solves the problem for a while.”
Funding questions remain
Trepp said the combined $900,000 will cover Vail Communities’ budget until next summer, including staff, meals and programming. She said the funding gives the nonprofit time to work on a longer-term solution for its Minneapolis and St. Paul hubs, which serve 500-600 active members, many with serious and persistent mental illness.
DHS was not available for an interview Friday, but provided the following answers to 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS’ questions:
Where did the bridge funding come from? (What pot of money, per se? Within DHS or pulled from elsewhere in state budget? And if so, where from?)Did the bridge funding require any cuts to anything else: services, etc.?What changed DHS officials’ minds from the notice letter in March, saying funding would not be extended, to finding and securing bridge funding?
The bridge funding came from Mental Health Block Grant funding. Out of concern for the community, DHS made the decision to extend the contract to align with the release of the RFP. The funding did not impact other programs.
Is the date set for this month for opening the RFP? If so, when is it? Are you able to share the language of the RFP? (Details of program requirements, how many organizations/hubs could qualify, how long the funding would be for if approved, deadline for applying, roughly when DHS will decide and make the award, etc.)
The RFP should post in the next few weeks on this webpage. We aren’t able to share details, language or other information about it until it is finalized and posted.
A DHS spokesperson said the agency still plans to open a request for proposal (RFP) process in June for clubhouse-type programming. “The department is planning to open the RFP for applicants in June so that the contract can start on or near January 1, 2027,” a spokesperson said in an email to 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS in late May.
As of now, Vail Communities runs the only clubhouse-model programs in Minnesota. Trepp said Vail Communities plans to apply when the RFP opens and is also exploring other funding options for future years.
For Related Stories: Mental Health Minnesota Department of Human Services Nonprofit Renée Cooper