Governor's Interagency Council on Mental Health Seeks Public Input

Today, the Governor's Interagency Council on Mental Health is asking Wisconsinites to provide input on how the State of Wisconsin can continue working to improve the mental health of our residents. You can make recommendations using this survey which is open until June 30. The council connects the dots across 10 state agencies to create a statewide action plan to address Wisconsin's mental health crisis. The plan will include recommendations to expand prevention efforts and increase access to mental health services when and where people need them.

"We can't do this work alone," said Kirsten Johnson, Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) Secretary and chair of the council. "In order for our work to be successful, we need to hear directly from Wisconsinites impacted by the mental health crisis. Whether you live with a condition, support a loved one, work as a peer support specialist, or work in the mental health field - we want to hear from you."

The Governor's Interagency Council on Mental Health is charged with:

• Bringing together state agencies to assess mental health programs, evaluate gaps, and align programs.
• Reviewing current programs, including those developed using American Rescue Plan Act funds, to determine sustainability or expansion.
• Developing proposals to address the root causes of the mental health crisis, create pathways to sustain interagency partnerships, and develop performance metrics to evaluate the outcomes of these initiatives.
• Strengthening agency relationships with community partners, including local units of government, school districts, court systems, and others, to build capacity to address the mental health crisis.
• Collaborating to improve the social and economic factors, also known as social determinants, that impact one's mental health, such as access to quality, affordable health care, safe housing, food security, financial security, and social connection among Wisconsinites.

The Governor's Interagency Council on Mental Health is taking a "whole of government" approach and includes representatives from the following Wisconsin cabinet agencies: Department of Administration; Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection; Department of Children and Families; Department of Corrections; Department of Health Services; Department of Military Affairs; Department of Safety and Professional Services; Department of Veteran Affairs; Department of Workforce Development; and Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority.

In addition to these efforts, the council is actively engaging with other state agencies, Tribal nations, local officials, and statewide committees and councils who have been collaborating to improve access to care and address Wisconsinites' mental health.