Otter Tail County Seeks Technology Solution for Dual Status Youth

Otter Tail County moved to formalize a procurement process for a technology platform aimed at improving coordination between Human Services and Probation when it posted a Request for Proposals on November 12, 2025. The county identified Human Services and Probation as the sponsoring departments and described the Dual Status Youth Technology Solution as a cross agency data system designed to support youth who are served by both child welfare and juvenile justice systems.

The RFP frames the project as seeking to strengthen data management and reporting, enable earlier interventions, and support a more holistic approach to reducing criminal activity and out of home placements. The county made the full RFP document and related materials available for download on its procurement page and set a firm deadline of Wednesday, December 3, 2025 at 4 00 p m for electronic submissions. Prospective vendors were instructed to direct questions to the county deputy administrator.

The immediate practical impact for residents will depend on how the county structures contracts, oversees implementation, and protects sensitive information. If successfully procured and implemented, the platform could streamline case information across departments, reduce duplicative work for social workers and probation staff, and produce clearer reporting for county leaders and the public. For families and youth involved in both systems, better information sharing has the potential to speed referrals to services and reduce the risk of unnecessary out of home placements.

Institutionally, the RFP highlights a growing emphasis on data driven approaches at the county level. Building a system that spans Human Services and Probation requires governance arrangements for data access, clear protocols for interagency decision making, and attention to legal requirements for confidentiality. The procurement process will be an early indicator of how the county plans to manage those responsibilities, including what oversight and evaluation measures will accompany any vendor contract.

The timeline also creates a window for civic engagement. Local stakeholders, including service providers, advocacy groups, and residents, can monitor the proposal review process and request information about evaluation criteria, projected costs, and planned timelines for deployment. Transparency in scoring, contract terms, and privacy safeguards will shape public confidence in the project.

Vendors seeking to respond should consult the county procurement page for the downloadable RFP and submit proposals electronically by the stated deadline. Questions were directed to the county deputy administrator. The county will next move from solicitation to evaluation, and the choices made in that phase will determine whether the new system meets its stated goals of earlier intervention and more coordinated services for dual status youth.