Human Services

Human Services Building
400 Michigan Avenue
Walker, MN 56484

(218) 547-1340
Office Hours: Monday-Friday from 8-4:30pm
Off-Hours Emergency: 218-547-1424
DHS Fraud Hotline: 1-800-627-9977

The Human Service Division is part of the Health, Human, and Veteran Services Department. The position of Health, Human, and Veteran Services Director is appointed.

Human Services offers three basic kinds of services: (1) financial assistance, subject to income and resources limitation, (2) social services, subject to a sliding fee schedule, and (3) child support services.

Financial Programs:
1.Minnesota Family Investment Program: Expects, supports, and rewards employment while aiding families as they work toward self sufficiency.

2.General Assistance: Meets the maintenance and personal needs of individuals. 3.Minnesota Supplemental Aid: Meets the financial needs of older and disabled individuals, unmet by their supplemental security income.

4.Medical Assistance: sometimes called “Medicaid”, provides assistance to individuals who cannot afford the cost of necessary medical services.

5. General Assistance Medical Care: Provides for payment of medical services to low income individuals not otherwise provided for by other programs.

6. Minnesota Care: Provides a premium based coverage for medical services for uninsured individuals.

7.Food Stamp Program: Sponsored by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, provides financial assistance for purchasing food to improve nutrition.

Social Services:
1. Low income families in need of day care.

2. Families with children under 18 experiencing child dependency, neglect or abuse, pregnant adolescents & adolescent parents under age 18 & their children & dependent & neglected wards.

3. Adults in need of protection & vulnerable, and persons age 60 who are experiencing difficulty living independently and unable to provide for their own needs.

4. Drug dependent & intoxicated persons & persons at risk of harm to self or others due to ingestion of alcohol or other drugs.

5. Mentally retarded persons who are unable to provide for their own needs or independently engage in ordinary community activities.

6. Person with serious & persistent mental illness who are unable to provide for their own needs or independently engage in ordinary community activities.

Child Support Services:

1. Locating parents.

2. Establishing parentage.

3. Establishing and enforcing court orders for child support, medical support and child care support.

4. Adjusting court orders based on the cost-of-living index.

5.Working with other states to enforce support when one parent does not live in Minnesota.

6. Collecting and processing payments.