Paul Fleissner
Managing Principal
Health Management Associates
St. Paul, MN
Working to integrate services across systems and communities, Paul Fleissner is a seasoned executive who has developed programs and policies aimed at creating pathways out of poverty for families, building healthier communities, addressing behavioral health needs, addressing homelessness and housing insecurity, and serving vulnerable populations.
With Health Management Associates (HMA), Paul has assisted community-based organizations, government agencies, county departments and states on a variety of health and human services engagements. He has supported a continuum of care’s Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) submission, a county department’s service integration model development, and a housing authority’s shelter and outreach system operational assessment. He has also provided states expert guidance on a variety of Medicaid-related topics, including medical respite care benefit development and 1115 waivers.
Before joining HMA, he served as behavioral health director with the Minnesota Department of Human Services where he directed the operations, policy, and budget of Minnesota’s substance use disorder services, mental health services and problem gambling supports. He developed policy and funding proposals to build effective, equitable systems of care for Minnesotans needing behavioral health services.
For nearly three decades Paul served Olmsted County in various and increasingly senior roles, most recently serving as deputy county administrator. He established and led the Health, Housing, and Human Services Department which integrated the Housing and Redevelopment Authority with public health, public assistance, social services, corrections, and veteran services.
Working to better operationalize the department, he led the efforts to apply data to inform system change and reduce inequities, improving outcomes for diverse populations. Additionally, he fostered unique partnerships to develop innovative services for homeless populations, at-risk families, and youth and adults with behavioral health needs.
Paul has worked at the local and state level in multiple states developing integrated and strategic solutions to support people experiencing homelessness. Paul’s work as a county director included the development of a housing stabilization team, enhanced shelter options, and implementation of new tools to remove barriers for all populations. One such initiative used master leasing and risk mitigation with landlords to establish new relationships and opportunities for housing.
In addition, Paul led multiple housing unit development initiatives. These initiatives served a variety of vulnerable populations, including transition age youth, homeless families, individuals with behavioral health needs and individuals leaving carceral settings.
Paul also lent his expertise and voice to help pass legislation providing bonding dollars for behavioral health crisis centers and support housing to create a viable behavioral health continuum of care in the state.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from St. Cloud State University and a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Winona State University. He has participated in the Harvard Leadership for a Networked World forum and helped design the University of Minnesota Future Services Institute.
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