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Hogan: Human service zones an 'evolution' in service delivery

A State Senator calls it an “evolution in delivery of human services.”

Sen. Kathy Hogan (D-Fargo) is talking about the creation of human service “zones.” It’s part of a reinvention led by the state Human Services Department.

Hogan said the “zone” idea actually was floated in the 1970s, but it’s been over the last few years that there has been a serious move in that direction.

The current Senate bill calls for the creation of 16 to 19 “zones” across the state.

"Those zones will be managed by the locals, and the employees will be local," Hogan said. "But there'll be a consistency, so that all zones will have the same core services."

Some of the pushback early on came from concerns that it could result in people who need service having to travel to get those services.

"One of the pieces in the bill is that in all current access points, the services have to be maintained<" Hogan said. "The small jurisdictions will still have an office open."

Hogan said the bill is more than just administration.

"There's been a pilot project on child protective services, to say, 'How can we be more responsive?'" Hogan said. "We're actually reinventing all of the core services provided by the counties, which for many of those services, hasn't been done in decades."

Hogan said this will be unfolding over the next 4 to 6 years.

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