Human Services Integration Data Access Workgroup
Proposal prepared by Denise Moreland 4/6/09
Proposal:
Create a DHS-County management group to make recommendations to DHS on how to balance the business need for service integration with the need to protect client data relative to implementing the Shared Master Index (SMI). The group would operate under the leadership of the Human Services Technology Committee (HSTC), a DHS-county committee focused on strategic planning. HSTC has a direct communication and consultation link to the Minnesota Association of County Social Services Administrators (MACSSA) who helped establish the group.
Background:
The DHS SMI enables county workers access to program data across DHS. It was built in part to assist county workers in providing more integrated services by offering a holistic view of a client’s participation and involvement in DHS programs.
The Minnesota Data Practices Act was amended a few years ago to ensure legal authority to share data across program areas for service coordination purposes. Program areas also have federal laws and policies which guide the sharing of program data.
As SMI has begun rolling out to counties, the issues surrounding data access have become complex. The purpose of this group is to help sort out the issues in balancing the business needs to provide holistic services with the program requirement to protect client data.
Proposed Participants:
DHS:
Anne Barry, Chief Compliance Officer (co-chair)
Sarina Turner, Data Privacy Official
DHS Directors from policy areas supported by major systems
DHS Directors of major DHS systems
DHS Director of Strategic Planning and Implementation
SMI Manager
Counties:
Judy Regenscheid, co-chair, Hennepin County Health & Human Services Interim Business Information Manager
Ask HSTC for county representation.
Representations should include:
· Large and small
· Metro and outstate
· Counties working with SMI to connect local systems with SMI. These include: Ramsey, Dakota, St. Louis, Carver, Scott, Stearns and Blue Earth
· County not integrating with SMI
Candidates should have good understanding of county integration needs and client privacy issues and should be broad thinkers.