DHS deputy commissioner to temporarily lead the agency until a permanent commissioner is appointed

Governor Tim Walz has announced Shireen Gandhi will serve as the temporary commissioner for the Department of Human Services (DHS), taking over for Commissioner Jodi Harpstead, who is leaving the position on Monday.

Harpstead announced her Feb. 3 department in mid-January after running the DHS for five and half years.

Gandhi first started working for the DHS in 2017. She was appointed in 2022 as DHS Deputy Commissioner for Agency Effectiveness.

“I am grateful to Shireen Gandhi for stepping up to lead the Department of Human Services,” said Walz. “Gandhi has a wealth of experience in health care, budget, finance, and continuous improvement initiatives, and has been a champion for our children and families. As temporary commissioner, she is well positioned to leverage her skills and knowledge to ensure a seamless transfer of leadership.”

She takes over while federal authorities are still investigating allegations that youth autism centers abused a DHS-administered program to defraud millions in Medicaid reimbursements. A 2022 report from the Office of the Legislative Auditor also found a pattern of lax oversight of DHS programs.

The department is in the process of splitting into three separate agencies, something Harpstead had supported. Walz said the change “will make each of them more effective, more accountable, and easier to manage.”

The Department of Children, Youth and Families spun off from the agency in July 2024 and the Department of Direct Care and Treatment will follow in July of this year.