Rehabilitation Review Program

You must register for MyWisconsin ID prior to submitting your application.

You will need to upload several documents to your rehabilitation review application. These documents include:

• A personal statement describing
  • Actions or the conduct that resulted in your conviction, finding of misconduct, or finding of child abuse and/or neglect
  • Impact of your actions or conduct on others
  • Reason(s) why you engaged in the action or conduct
• Reason(s) why you believe you should be approved for rehabilitation
• Confirmation email showing that you submitted a Rehabilitation Review Background Check request
• A signed and dated letter of recommendation from a current or past employer describing your character and job performance
• Three signed and dated character reference letters written by anyone that knows you well

The following documents may be required, based on your circumstances:

• Documentation of the offense
  • Criminal Complaint
  • Judgment of Conviction
  • Pending or existing criminal or civil arrests, warrants, judgments or other legal enforcement actions or injunctions
  • Pending investigation by a government or regulatory agency
  • Findings of child abuse or neglect
  • Findings of patient abuse, neglect, of misappropriation
  • Restriction on a credential held from the Department of Safety and Professional Services
• Documentation of treatment
  • Participation in the public or community service
  • Participation in the counseling, therapy, or other assessments
  • Participation in a treatment program for anger, aggression, or violence
  • Volunteer work
  • Treatment program for a sex offense
  • Payment for full restitution to the victim or community
  • Treatment program for parenting management
  • Treatment program for alcohol or other substance abuse
  • Other court-ordered program or procedures
  • Participation/completion of probation or parole
• Background check results from any other state of residence in the past 5 years
• Documentation related to military discharge (e.g., DD-214)

This process is very applicant driven. Applications are processed in the order in which they are received complete. Please anticipate that the process could take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. Updates are not provided after an application is submitted. If any required documentation is not received, you will be contacted via email by a rehabilitation review coordinator.

Generally, anyone who has a barrable criminal conviction, a substantiated caregiver misconduct finding on the caregiver registry, or a substantiated child abuse or neglect finding, is ineligible to work for a DHS-regulated entity, unless rehabilitation review is approved.

Please note, our office coordinates the rehab review process and cannot ascertain an applicant’s eligibility outside of that process. If you have any further questions, please see Offenses Affecting Caregiver Eligibility for Chapter 50 Programs, P-00274 (PDF).

If you have a barrable conviction or governmental finding that requires a rehab review, you are not eligible to work in a DHS-regulated entity until you receive proper approval through rehab review. Note that a rehab review approval does not guarantee employment or remove a finding, but it may restore certain forms of eligibility.

If you are seeking to work with children, please see DCF’s Rehab Review.

Our office no longer accepts paper applications. You must create a MyWisconsin ID and submit a rehab review application.

If you are experiencing difficulties with MyWisconsin ID, please contact their 24-hour helpline at 608-471-6667.

We are unable to provide status updates once an application is being processed. A rehab review coordinator will reach out to you via email if any additional information is required.

To protect everyone’s privacy, we are only able to speak to the applicant about their rehab review.

You will receive an email from our office once your application has been reviewed.

If all the proper information was submitted, you will receive an email invite to your virtual panel hearing.

If required documentation is missing, you will receive an incomplete letter via email. You will have 90 days to satisfy the request for the required documentation before the application is denied for being incomplete.

Attending the panel hearing is highly encouraged and provides you the opportunity to demonstrate rehabilitation to the panel members. After the hearing, you will receive a decision letter on your rehabilitation review outcome.  

Federal law prohibits anyone with a substantiated finding of abuse, neglect, or misappropriation of property from working in a federally funded nursing home or an intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities per Code of Federal Regulations 42 CFR Part 483.12(a)(3). A WI DHS rehabilitation review cannot change this as federal law takes precedent over state law.

Rehabilitation review cannot remove findings from your record and may only restore certain forms of eligibility for employment. This process is intended for individuals to prove they have been rehabilitated after a substantiated finding, not to appeal.

Please refer to your Notice of Substantiated Findings letter for information on the 30-day appeal process. Our office does not handle appeals and therefore cannot provide legal advice related to the substantiated finding or appeal process. 

Applicants who have received a denial letter may reapply no sooner than 12 months from the date the letter was issued.