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Jessie Van Berkel Profile
Jessie Van Berkel

@jessvanb

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Reporter @StarTribune covering social services. [email protected] 651.925.5044

Minneapolis, MN
Joined May 2009
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@jessvanb
Jessie Van Berkel
4 days
MN will institute a two-year pause on licenses for adult daycares, MN temp DHS Commissioner Gandhi says. She says current capacity far exceeds the number of people with disabilities and older adults who use the daycare services.
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@jessvanb
Jessie Van Berkel
5 months
MN is seeking to terminate Housing Stabilization Services amid allegations of widespread fraud in the program. In an unprecedented step DHS requested federal approval to halt the benefit, saying it "does not have the necessary controls to stop bad actors." https://t.co/G7sPUNlab5
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startribune.com
The state is seeking to stop the Housing Stabilization Services program. The FBI searched five providers last month.
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@jessvanb
Jessie Van Berkel
5 months
What went wrong with Minnesota's "groundbreaking" Housing Stabilization Services program? I looked into the original vision, when and how problems emerged and what's next for a state program investigators say has been the target of "massive" fraud.
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startribune.com
FBI investigators raided five providers last week as they look into what is being called a “massive” fraud scheme in the Housing Stabilization Services program, now seen by many as a good idea “badly...
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@jessvanb
Jessie Van Berkel
5 months
Here's some of our past reporting on issues with Housing Stabilization Services:
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startribune.com
Housing Stabilization Services was supposed to help Minnesotans find housing and keep it, but the fast-growing Medicaid benefit has had a difficult rollout.
@jessvanb
Jessie Van Berkel
5 months
Federal investigators searched eight locations in Minnesota on Wednesday as they look into what they are calling a “massive scheme” to defraud the state’s Housing Stabilization Services program.
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@jessvanb
Jessie Van Berkel
5 months
Federal investigators searched eight locations in Minnesota on Wednesday as they look into what they are calling a “massive scheme” to defraud the state’s Housing Stabilization Services program.
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startribune.com
Companies received millions in Medicaid funds for services they didn’t provide, according to an FBI search warrant affidavit.
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@jessvanb
Jessie Van Berkel
6 months
A look at the political legacy of Melissa Hortman, a no-nonsense leader who didn’t seek the spotlight, took care of her team, relished organization and, above all, wanted to get stuff done.
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startribune.com
Hortman led House Democrats through some of the most difficult and consequential political times in recent Minnesota history.
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@jessvanb
Jessie Van Berkel
9 months
Massive Disability Services Day turnout at the Capitol. The major theme on many signs: “cuts have costs.” AG Ellison currently urging crowd to contact his office if they see cuts from Trump administration.
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@StarTribune
The Minnesota Star Tribune
11 months
Minnesotans with disabilities say state’s proposed budget cuts would ‘bring us backward’
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startribune.com
Advocates and providers are pushing back against Gov. Tim Walz’s proposed disability service changes and remain wary of potential federal changes to Medicaid.
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@jessvanb
Jessie Van Berkel
11 months
Shireen Gandhi is stepping in as @MinnesotaDHS temporary commissioner following Jodi Harpstead's departure. Gandhi has been at DHS since 2017, most recently serving as "deputy commissioner for agency effectiveness."
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@jessvanb
Jessie Van Berkel
11 months
DHS Commissioner Jodi Harpstead is leaving the job, Gov. Walz announced today. She's departing as the agency is under renewed scrutiny for fraud in its programs and as the massive department is splitting up.
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startribune.com
Harpstead has led the department since 2019. She is departing as the agency faces renewed scrutiny over fraud in its programs.
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@deenafaywinter
Deena Winter
1 year
BREAKING: FBI searching autism center in downtown Minneapolis:
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@jessvanb
Jessie Van Berkel
1 year
MN Dept of Human Services has not tried to recover more than $40M in overpayments to Medical Assistance providers and "generally had inadequate internal controls," new legislative auditor's report finds.
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@jessvanb
Jessie Van Berkel
1 year
Minnesota has the second highest number of people with disabilities who are paid subminimum wages. The Biden administration proposed a rule this week to end the nearly 90-year-old practice that has led to some workers being paid cents on the dollar.
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startribune.com
Minnesota has the second-most workers receiving subminimum wages of any state. Whether the Trump administration will support the proposed phaseout of the low wages remains uncertain.
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@jessvanb
Jessie Van Berkel
1 year
What could Trump’s return mean for Medicaid & other safety net programs? He previously proposed cuts to programs that help poor families and people with disabilities afford health care, food and housing.
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startribune.com
From food stamps and rent help to disability insurance, social services advocates are worried the incoming administration could cut programs that low-income Minnesotans rely on.
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@jessvanb
Jessie Van Berkel
1 year
Hennepin County OKed $15M today to create a youth behavioral health crisis stabilization center in Mpls & $7M/year to run it. The fast-tracked facility comes as kids who need treatment are stuck in detention centers and ERs.
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startribune.com
The expedited project comes as kids with complex mental health needs are stuck in the county’s Juvenile Detention Center and emergency rooms.
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@jessvanb
Jessie Van Berkel
1 year
Thousands of Minnesotans get free or discounted housing from addiction treatment providers -- an offer some say supports recovery and prevents homelessness. It also may be illegal. A potential crackdown on the widespread practice has many on edge.
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startribune.com
Nuway Alliance and other providers offer free or subsidized housing with outpatient treatment. Some say it’s an illegal kickback, others say it’s essential to recovery. An FBI raid has the industry...
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@jessvanb
Jessie Van Berkel
1 year
Deadly overdoses fell by 8% in Minnesota last year, the first decline in five years. Greater MN saw a particularly big drop in deaths, per early state data.
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startribune.com
Overall overdoses remain high, but naloxone, opioid use disorder medications and other measures are helping reduce deaths.
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@jessvanb
Jessie Van Berkel
1 year
Minnesota wants guardianship to be a last resort. But the number of people under another's care and control continues to grow. Legislative auditors and a new task force are re-examining the system that some advocates say is overused and too restrictive.
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startribune.com
Court-appointed guardians are calling the shots for a growing number of aging Minnesotans. The controversial role is in the spotlight as the Legislative Auditor’s Office and a new task force look...
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@jessvanb
Jessie Van Berkel
1 year
When it comes to ensuring a growing number of older Minnesotans can live well, some warn that in this state "there is absolutely no driver of the bus." Is a Department on Aging the answer?
startribune.com
Advocates say the state needs to do more to plan for and support a fast-growing population of older residents. Lawmakers are considering a new state agency.
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@jessvanb
Jessie Van Berkel
1 year
And last but not least, what does Tim Walz’s hot dish recipe say about the man?
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startribune.com
The Minnesota governor-turned-VP-candidate can cook, but is it weird that he sometimes uses peas?
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