Ramsey County on Monday tapped a longtime social worker to head its Social Services Department.

Sophia Thompson, who has overseen its mental health division for three the past three years, will take over the department as director on July 1.

“Sophia has been a powerful member of our department for more than 15 years,” Deputy County Manager Kathy Hedin said in a news release. “Her hands-on experience working with underrepresented communities, her proven leadership skills at the county and her continued passion for this important work make her the ideal person to lead this department.”

Ramsey County Social Services Department Director Sophia Thompson (Courtesy of Ramsey County

Thompson first joined the department as a senior child protection worker in 2008. Last month, she received the Social Worker of the Year Award from the Minnesota chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.

Thompson earned her master’s degree in social work from the University of Minnesota.

Thompson replaces Michelle Basham, who resigned as director of Social Services in March after just four months in the job. Tina Curry, who leads the Public Health Career Pathways program, served as interim director.

The Social Services Department is the county’s largest, with a 2023 budget of $117.8 million and 683 full-time positions.

It administers a wide variety of programs, including mental health services, child protection, foster care, civil commitment, adult protection and chemical dependency services.

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The inmate who died at Minnesota Correctional Facility — Stillwater over the weekend is believed to have ingested synthetic drugs.

Minnesota Department of Corrections officials identified the man as Dalmario Smith, 22, who was serving time for escape from custody and on a drive-by shooting charge.

Smith was found unresponsive in his cell around 3:30 a.m. Saturday. DOC staff initiated lifesaving efforts, officials said, but Smith was pronounced dead at 3:53 a.m.

The Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted the autopsy, and DOC officials said a preliminary investigation shows no signs of foul play. Investigators, however, are looking into the “possible ingestion of suspected synthetic drugs” based on evidence found in Smith’s cell, officials said.

Synthetic drugs are a challenge for prisons in Minnesota and across the nation, according to the DOC. Because they can be infused into paper that enters facilities through the U.S. Postal Service, Stillwater prison staff recently began photocopying all incoming mail with the exception of legal mail that is protected by attorney-client privilege.

DOC Commissioner Paul Schnell said that he and the rest of the DOC staff extend their condolences to Smith’s family.

“If this death is determined to be drug-related, we will make every effort to determine who introduced and provided the substance for the purpose of pursuing prosecution to the fullest extent of the law,” Schnell said.

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