Dakota County works hard to provide quality programs to residents, and those services get noticed.
The county received four achievement awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo) on June 18. The Dakota County Board of Commissioners recognized the programs Tuesday, Aug. 12. The awarded programs help residents in crisis and make the county a safer and more supportive place:
Community Focused Sampling Program
This Environmental Resources program provides private well owners with no-cost water testing and helps them understand test results. The program also seeks to improve the county's understanding of groundwater contamination risks. Between 2019–2024, about 2,300 residents participated in the well-testing program.
Crisis and Recovery Center
Dakota County and Guild, a mental health service provider, partnered to create the Crisis and Recovery Center in West St. Paul. The center provides a welcoming place for adult mental health services including assessment, support and short-term residential treatment and stabilization.
Interactive Voice Response System
Dakota County launched a new system that allows the Employment and Economic Assistance Department to better serve customers via automated call routing, more self-service options and streamlined call management.
Jail Integrative Health Unit
The Integrated Health Unit was added onto the existing 263-person-capacity jail in Hastings. The unit provides dedicated space to treat and care for Dakota County jail inmates with mental and physical health needs.