Beyond crisis mode: A call for holistic investments in human services

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The cracks in our systems are widening. With continued inaction, we risk watching them deepen into chasms that no amount of funding will be able to repair. However, by recognizing the urgency of the moment and committing to transformative change, we can build the holistic, responsive and sustainable systems that Minnesota’s communities so desperately need.

The recent closures of key human services organizations in Minnesota, including Rainbow Health, Evergreen, Perspectives, and even the outpatient mental health services at North Memorial Health, have revealed a distressing pattern. As we continue to witness the shutdowns of substance use disorder programs, the reduction of housing services and the scaling back of mental health support, it is becoming increasingly clear that these are not isolated failures. Instead, they are symptoms of a systemwide breakdown in how we support our most vulnerable neighbors.

These systemic issues are well-documented: an affordable housing shortage, a lack of preservation resources for existing housing, increasing and unmet mental health and substance use disorder needs, and a broken public safety system. While we’ve seen some meaningful public investments in these areas, it is evident that they are falling short.

The closures of these organizations and the struggles of many other similar service providers are just the tip of the iceberg. Beneath these headline-grabbing shutdowns lies a much deeper problem: Our sector has long been underfunded and overstretched, working within outdated models that no longer meet the complexities of modern needs. Human service providers are, in effect, trying to provide 21st-century care with resources and systems designed for the previous century.

One recent, tragic and alarming case brings this into sharp focus. St. Anne’s Place, a haven for women and children in need, was forced to temporarily close its doors earlier this summer. A significant contributing factor was the failure of our public safety systems to adequately support organizations working to offer residents safe, dignified housing. This, too, is not an isolated incident. At the beginning of the summer, Hope Community lost the Dundry apartments after repeated and escalating incidents of vandalism — following the investment of hundreds of thousands of dollars on supplemental security. At RS EDEN, we have had to make similar investments in security at our housing sites — an investment we are willing to make to ensure the safety of our residents, but one that takes away from other programs.

We can no longer rely on reactive measures to fix these problems. We need a shift in how we prioritize and fund community infrastructure. More nimble, responsive and compassionate systems are required — systems that recognize the interconnectedness of mental health, housing, public safety and social services. Investments in community infrastructure should not be piecemeal or isolated but part of a cohesive, long-term strategy that considers the complexity of the challenges we face.

What we are seeing is the result of systemic underinvestment in essential services that are necessary for community health and safety. Nonprofit human services are essential to our social fabric. Yet, we ask them to meet growing demands with shrinking resources.

There is hope, however. Minnesota’s ethos, long defined by a commitment to the common good, must evolve to meet this moment. We need investments in models that prioritize wellness and stability while being flexible enough to address today’s challenges. Policymakers, funders and community members must understand that without a comprehensive approach to community support, more closures are inevitable.

As a society, we need to move away from reactive measures that come too late and instead invest in the long-term sustainability of the human services sector. A proactive, collaborative approach — one that spans across mental health, housing, substance use treatment and public safety — is the only way forward.

Caroline Hood is the president and chief executive of RS EDEN, a nonprofit based in the Twin Cities providing integrated, innovative services addressing substance use disorder, mental health, housing and criminal justice supports.