Glossary

A screen that determines functional eligibility for long-term care programs for people who are frail elders and for people with physical disabilities, dementia, a terminal illness, or intellectual/developmental disabilities. A person must be 18 or older to participate in a publicly funded long-term care program for which this screen determines eligibility. These programs are Family Care, Family Care Partnership, PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly), and IRIS (Include, Respect, I Self-Direct). Early screening is available for people 17.5 years old or older to assist planning for transition to the adult long-term care system.

A private residence where people who aren’t related to the caregiver live. The residents get care that’s beyond room and board. This can include up to seven hours per week of nursing care per person. An adult family home is a type of assisted living.

People having origins in any of the original people of North and South America (including Central America) who maintain Tribal affiliation or community attachment. It includes people who indicate their race or races as Lake Superior Chippewa, Ho-Chunk Nation, or Oneida Nation.

The person being screened to establish medical necessity of services

People having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asian, or the Indian subcontinent. It includes people who indicate their race or races as Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, or Other Asian, such as Burmese, Hmong, Pakistani, or Thai.

The ability to shower, bathe, or take sponge baths for the purpose of maintaining adequate hygiene. This also includes the ability to get in and out of a bathtub or shower stall, turn faucets on and off, regulate water temperature, and wash and dry fully.

People having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa. It includes people who indicate their race as Black, African American, and Afro American, such as Nigerian or Haitian.

A screen that captures the needs of a child in a variety of developmental, behavioral, health, and daily living activities. It provides functional eligibility determinations for several programs, four functional levels of care, and three target group designations for children from birth through age 21.

Either in-person or phone contact with anyone other than the applicant, including family, advocates, providers, etc.

A community-based psychosocial program that assists people living with a mental illness reach their full potential. Participants receive community living supportive services, peer support services, and supported employment services.

A psychosocial program that provides community-based interdisciplinary social, psychiatric, and employment services to adults with serious mental illness.

A community-based psychosocial program that provides integrated mental health and substance use services to children and adults. CCS also serves people with only a substance use disorder diagnosis.

The ability to put on and take off clothing as necessary. This also refers to the ability to choose appropriate clothing for the weather and other situations. This also refers to the ability to put on prostheses, braces, and/or anti-embolism hose (“TED stockings”) with or without assistive devices. This also refers to fine motor coordination for buttons and zippers. Difficulties with a zipper or buttons at the back of a dress or blouse do not constitute a functional deficit.

Used to edit, add or change information in a screen that is currently being worked on or to make necessary updates to an unconfirmed screen

• Independent: The applicant does not require assistance with tasks. They can complete a task, support themselves emotionally, and monitor symptoms without interventions from support staff or natural supports.
• Less than monthly: The applicant requires assistance with tasks, emotional support, reinforcement, and symptom monitoring from support staff or natural supports every few months but is otherwise independent. The screener may select this answer if the applicant has recently become independent with a skill but may need some follow-up to ensure task completion. Since applicants may have support needs that may be irregular, using an average over the course of a few months is best practice.
• 1 to 4 times a month: The applicant requires, on average, assistance with tasks, emotional support, reinforcement, and symptom monitoring at least one time per month. Since applicants may have support needs that may be irregular, using an average over the course of a few months is best practice.
• More than one time per week: The applicant requires, on average, assistance with tasks, emotional support, reinforcement, and symptom monitoring more than once per week. Since applicants may have support needs that may be irregular, using an average over the course of a few months is best practice.

Work that is performed on a full-time basis (30 hours per week or more) for which an individual is:

• Compensated at or above minimum wage and comparable to the customary rate paid by the employer to employees without disabilities performing similar duties and with similar training and experience.
• Receiving the same level of benefits provided to other employees without disabilities in similar positions.
• At a location where the employee interacts with other individuals without disabilities.
• Presented opportunities for advancement similar to other employees without disabilities in similar positions.
• If the individual is self-employed, their self-employment is considered full-time competitive employment if their work yields an income that is comparable to the income received by other individuals who are not individuals with disabilities and who are self-employed in similar occupations or on similar tasks and who have similar training, experience, and skills.

A person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central American, South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.

Staying at homeless shelters, living in a car or tent, or temporarily staying at a friend's or relative's house for short periods (days or weeks)

A place where five or more adults live who are not related to the operator or administrator. The residents do not require care above intermediate level nursing care. There may be treatment and other services that are above room and board but no more than three hours of nursing care per week per resident.

A facility serving people with development disabilities. These are residential facilities that serve four or more people for the purpose of diagnosis, treatment, or rehabilitation of people with intellectual disabilities and related conditions. Residents receive active treatment, ongoing evaluation, planning, 24-hour supervision, coordination, and integration of health or rehabilitative services to help them function at their greatest ability.

The first functional screen completed for an applicant interested in accessing programs. It should be used in the following circumstances:

• The first time a screen is created for a new applicant. No previous screen exists for the applicant.
• An applicant was found not functionally eligible (NFE) for services or have had their services discontinued for over a year and is reapplying for services.

The extent to which independent evaluators produce similar ratings in judging the same abilities or characteristics in the same target person or object

An applicant who is not currently working but wants a job or an applicant who has a job but wants a different one

Parole/probation, conditional release, bail monitoring, arrests, and/or detentions in a jail or prison. It does not include most traffic tickets. It does include operating while intoxicated. The involvement must be the applicant’s own, not a family member’s involvement. If an applicant is arrested and jailed for the same incident, this counts as one event.

A facility operated by DHS that provides specialized psychiatric services

The ability to move between locations in the individual’s living environment (defined as kitchen, living room, bathroom, and sleeping area). For purposes of the screen, this excludes basements, attics, and yards.

People having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands. It includes people who indicate their race or races as Native Hawaiian, Guamanian or Chamorro, Samoan, or Other Pacific Islander, such as Tahitian, Mariana Islander, or Chuukese.

Any kind of support from another person (monitoring, supervising, reminders, verbal cueing, or hands-on assistance) needed because of a mental health and/or substance use disorder

Living on the street or in a shelter, living in a car, or temporary stays (days or weeks) at the homes of family and friends

A person of working age (at least age 16) who is not retired and currently is not working. Do not check if person is on medical leave from a job. In this case, they are still employed.

An applicant not interested in having a job or an applicant who is employed and does not want to change jobs

A place where five or more people who are not related to the operator or administrator reside. They receive care or treatment. Because of their mental or physical condition, they require access to 24-hour nursing services, including limited nursing care, intermediate level nursing care and skilled nursing services. Nursing homes do not include any of the following:

• A convent or facility owned or operated exclusively by and for members of a religious order that provides reception and care or treatment of an individual
• A hospice, as defined in Wis. Stat. § 50.90 (1), that directly provides inpatient care
• A residential care apartment complex

A hospital, nursing facility, or other facility of more than 16 beds that is primarily engaged in providing diagnosis, treatment, or care of people with mental diseases

Work that is performed on a part-time basis (less than 30 hours per week) for which an individual is:

• Compensated at or above minimum wage and comparable to the customary rate paid by the employer to employees without disabilities performing similar duties and with similar training and experience.
• Receiving the same level of benefits provided to other employees without disabilities in similar positions.
• At a location where the employee interacts with other individuals without disabilities.
• Presented opportunities for advancement similar to other employees without disabilities in similar positions.
• If the individual is self-employed, their self-employment is considered part-time competitive employment if their work yields an income that is comparable to the income received by other individuals who are not individuals with disabilities and who are self-employed in similar occupations or on similar tasks and who have similar training, experience, and skills.

A tool that collects information on an individual’s ability to accomplish activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, and medically oriented tasks that are delegated by a registered nurse. Activities of daily living include bathing, dressing, grooming, applying prosthetics/braces/anti-embolism hose, eating, mobility, toileting, and transferring. Medically oriented tasks include assistance getting medication from hand to mouth, glucometer readings, urinary catheter site care, administering a suppository, or administering a tube feeding.

Causing bodily harm to another person

Eating inedible objects such as metal or coins

Drinking excessive amounts of water, which can be fatal

A rescreen or recertification, which is required every 12 months for as long as an applicant is enrolled

An independent apartment complex where five or more adults reside. Apartments must each have a lockable entrance and exit; a kitchen, including a stove (or microwave oven); and individual bathroom, sleeping, and living areas. A residential care apartment complex is a type of assisted living.

Withdrawal from one's position, occupation, or from active working life while receiving retirement benefits. Applicants can be considered retired if they are under 65. Their early retirement cannot be due to health issues. Do not check if the applicant stopped work due to disabilities, mental illness, or other physical health problems, even if applicant prefers to use the term retire.

Cutting, burning, pica, polydipsia, and head banging. This does not include suicide attempts, unhealthy habits, or other high-risk activities.

A non-competitive, non-integrated job that is not open to the public. The person does not have to apply for nor compete for the job. Human services staff are present to assist participants. This category includes group supported employment, transitional employment, temporary work experience, and any other employment opportunity where the place a person is working is not the employer of record.

An act where the intention is to end one’s life

An applicant staying with family or friends temporarily (example: The stay is to recuperate from an illness or surgery). This option also includes temporary stays in residential facilities, such as respite in a community-based residential facility. Do not select this option if the applicant is in an institution such as hospital, institution of mental disease, or nursing home.

The ability to use the toilet, commode, bedpan, or urinal. This includes transferring on/off the toilet, cleansing of self, changing of pads, managing an ostomy or catheter, and adjusting clothes. Check this box if the applicant needs physical help from another person, or if they use a commode, elevated toilet seat, ostomy, urinary catheter, regular bowel program, or is incontinent more than monthly.

The physical ability to move:

• From bed/chair to wheelchair, walker, or standing position.
• In and out of bed or usual sleeping place.
• Using assistive devices for transfers, excluding toileting transfers.
• With the physical help from another person or through the use of a mechanical lift, transfer board, or trapeze.

Certified or licensed housing provided by human services agencies or the corrections system

Applicants who engage in unpaid labor rather than taking a paid position

An applicant who wants a paying job but does not have one because they are afraid of losing their benefits due to earning too much money

People having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. It includes people who indicate their race as white, such as Irish, German, Italian, Lebanese, Near Easterner, Arab, or Polish.