County Board approves PHHS reorganization plan
Cook County Public Health and Human Services officials presented a draft reorganization plan to the PHHS Board during the July 21 meeting as the department continues efforts to restructure its operations.
Officials said the proposed changes are intended to ensure the department continues to meet Minnesota requirements while creating a more sustainable work environment for employees in positions with routine turnover nationwide.
“The ways that we’re looking at doing that are making sure that we have adequate oversight and accountability within the department, making sure that we have ways to encourage internal staff development and provide opportunities for leadership development, growth,” Public Health and Human Services Director Grace Grinager told WTIP. “Then finally making sure that we continue to be mindful of the fiscal impact of the way that we structure ourselves in the department.”
Grinager presented the draft reorganization chart to the Cook County Board of Commissioners during the Tuesday, July 28, meeting. The board unanimously approved the reorganization chart.
The reorganization comes on the heels of a department review conducted by Meghan Mohs of Birchwood Consulting. Mohs presented her findings to the Public Health and Human Services Board back in March, suggesting opportunities to shift responsibilities among positions and utilize the current staff more efficiently. Mohs has continued working with Grinager during the restructuring.
The draft reorganization would eliminate two vacant positions that Grinager said have remained unfilled for “quite some time.”
“Our current caseloads support this approach,” Grinager told the board.
The proposal includes two major structural changes. First, it would replace the department’s current supervisor positions with one manager and three team leads. Unlike supervisors, the team leads would not conduct employee performance evaluations or directly supervise case managers. Instead, they would provide training, technical assistance and peer support.
“While they’re not directly supervising another person’s performance, they are providing some training, some technical assistance, some kind of colleague-to-colleague support,” Grinager said. “That is kind of the difference of a lead role versus a supervisor role.”
The draft also proposes creating several social service case aide positions to provide paraprofessional support for case managers. Mohs identified the positions as an opportunity during her March presentation.
“They are very effective,” Mohs told the board during her presentation. “There is a lot of research supporting their effectiveness. A lot of counties have been using them for some time to fill these roles.”
Cook County Administrator Kristin Trebil-Halbersma voiced support for the proposal during the meeting, saying it reflects collaboration between department leadership, staff and the consultant.
“Grace has spent a lot of time and attention working with our consultant Meghan Mohs, as well as staff — really listening to them — and ensuring that this model meets the needs of the team and also meets, most importantly, our community needs,” Trebil-Halbersma said during the board meeting. “I’ve worked very closely with Grace on this, and I fully support this.”
Board members questioned the financial implications of the proposal and sought clarification on the responsibilities of the team lead positions, while also commending Grinager’s work.
“Great job, by the way, putting all this together while managing everything else going on,” board member Frank Ceo said. “It’s kind of like overhauling your car engine when you’re driving down the interstate.”
WTIP spoke to Public Health and Human Services Director Grace Grinager about the reorganization and the rest of her director’s report. The audio of that conversation can be found here.
Josh Hinke July 29, 2026
