Upper Midwest Association of State Human Services Administrators

Upper Midwest Association of State Human Services Administrators
Name	Upper Midwest Association of State Human Services Administrators
Abbreviation	UMASHSA
Type	Nonprofit association
Region	Upper Midwest United States
Founded	1970s
Headquarters	Minneapolis, Minnesota
Leader title	Executive Director

Upper Midwest Association of State Human Services Administrators is a regional association of senior officials responsible for public welfare, social services, and human services program administration in Midwestern states. The association convenes commissioners, directors, and administrators from state agencies to coordinate policy, share best practices, and engage with federal departments and national organizations. It serves as a forum linking state executive leadership to intergovernmental partners, tribal authorities, research institutions, and philanthropic organizations.

History

The association originated in the 1970s when state commissioners from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Illinois sought closer coordination in response to federal reforms under the Nixon administration and later the Reagan administration, aligning with dialogues involving United States Department of Health and Human Services, Social Security Administration, Administration for Children and Families, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and Office of Management and Budget. Early meetings included representatives from the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Iowa Department of Human Services, North Dakota Department of Human Services, South Dakota Department of Social Services, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, and Illinois Department of Human Services, fostering ties with university research centers such as the University of Minnesota, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Iowa State University, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, and think tanks like the Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute. During the 1990s welfare reforms influenced by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 and federal litigation such as Olmstead v. L.C., the association broadened its agenda to include disability services, Medicaid waivers, and child welfare practice improvement. In the 2000s and 2010s, UMASHSA engaged with national conveners including the National Governors Association, American Public Human Services Association, Council of State Governments', and National Conference of State Legislatures.

Purpose and Mission

The association's stated mission centers on improving state human services administration through peer exchange, policy analysis, leadership development, and operational collaboration with federal agencies and philanthropic partners like the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Kresge Foundation, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Its purpose emphasizes aligning state service delivery with federal statutes such as the Americans with Disabilities Act and programs administered by Social Security Administration, Medicaid, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program authorities, while coordinating with regional stakeholders including tribal nations, urban counties like Hennepin County, and rural coalitions like the National Rural Health Association. The mission references evidence produced by research centers including Urban Institute, Kaiser Family Foundation, RAND Corporation, and university partners to inform policy and practice.

Membership and Governance

Membership comprises senior officials from participating states' human services departments, typically commissioners or deputy commissioners from agencies including Minnesota Department of Human Services, Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, Iowa Department of Human Services, North Dakota Department of Human Services, South Dakota Department of Social Services, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Illinois Department of Human Services, and occasionally associate members from adjacent states and territories. Governance follows a board structure with elected officers, an executive director, and committees for finance, policy, and training; governance interactions involve entities like the National Association of Counties, American Society for Public Administration, Council on Accreditation, and tribal governance bodies such as the Navajo Nation and Ojibwe leadership in regional consultations. The association convenes subcommittees focused on Medicaid policy, child welfare, aging services, behavioral health, and workforce development, engaging subject matter experts from institutions such as Harvard Kennedy School, Columbia University, Johns Hopkins University, and Yale School of Medicine.

Programs and Initiatives

Programs include leadership academies, peer exchanges, technical assistance for Medicaid waivers and eligibility systems, child welfare continuous quality improvement collaboratives, and workforce recruitment initiatives coordinated with entities like AmeriCorps, Peace Corps alumni networks, and public health schools including University of Michigan School of Public Health and Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine. Initiatives address homelessness in partnership with National Alliance to End Homelessness, elder abuse prevention with National Center on Elder Abuse, and substance use disorders with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The association has run pilot projects for cross-state data sharing involving vendors and standards bodies such as Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services interoperability initiatives, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, and university research groups at Carnegie Mellon University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Conferences and Meetings

Annual conferences bring together commissioners, federal partners, researchers, tribal leaders, and advocacy organizations, often featuring keynote speakers from institutions such as the Brookings Institution, Urban Institute, Kaiser Family Foundation, and former federal officials from United States Department of Health and Human Services and the White House Domestic Policy Council. Regional workshops occur in cities like Minneapolis, Madison, Wisconsin, Des Moines, and Omaha, and sessions have been held in collaboration with state legislatures and agencies including Minnesota Legislature and Wisconsin Legislature committees. Meetings routinely include briefings on federal rulemaking from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Administration for Children and Families, and stakeholder panels with representatives from AARP, National Association of Social Workers, Children's Defense Fund, and state advocacy groups.

Partnerships and Collaborations

The association partners with federal agencies including United States Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Administration for Children and Families, and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, national associations like the National Governors Association and American Public Human Services Association, research organizations such as the Urban Institute and RAND Corporation, healthcare organizations including Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic, and philanthropic funders like the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. It also collaborates with tribal nations, county human services boards, hospital systems such as Allina Health, and legal advocacy groups including Legal Aid Society affiliates to coordinate cross-jurisdictional responses to child protection, disability rights litigation, and pandemic response efforts in concert with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance.

Impact and Notable Achievements

The association has influenced regional adoption of Medicaid waiver strategies, improved child welfare outcomes through shared practice models informed by evaluations from Urban Institute and Mathematica Policy Research, and advanced cross-state workforce pipelines in partnership with universities like University of Minnesota and University of Wisconsin–Madison. It contributed to regional pandemic response coordination aligning state plans with guidance from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, facilitated multi-state data-sharing agreements modeled on federal initiatives, and supported litigation-avoidance strategies drawing on analyses from Brookings Institution and Kaiser Family Foundation. Notable recognitions include collaborative awards from national bodies such as the American Public Human Services Association and commendations from state legislatures and governors’ offices.

Category:Professional associations based in the United States Category:Social services organizations in the United States