Mental Health and Substance Use Services Gaps Analysis

The Division of Care and Treatment Services collaborated with the UW Population Health Institute in 2025 to investigate gaps within the mental health and substance use services system across Wisconsin. This report presents the findings of this analysis.

This assessment was designed to supplement existing quantitative data from state and federal data systems with qualitative data—insights and lived experiences perspectives—from service providers and people being served.  

The gaps identified include:

• Workforce: Extensive waitlists exist in mental health and substance use disorder services, potentially driven by a lack of service providers overall and service providers with credentials related to substance use disorders.
• Geography: Accessing services is challenging for many clients and patients due to unreliable or unavailable transportation as well as an uneven distribution of service providers across the state.
• Bureaucracy: An absence of care coordination is present across programs, leading to difficulty accessing and navigating the mental health and substance use disorder services at will.
• Culture and linguistics: Culturally competent care is not universally available, including access to interpreters and service providers that reflect Wisconsin’s demographics. 

There are seven sections to this report.

• Section 1: Overview
• Section 2: Methods and engagement
• Section 3: Findings - gaps in the system
• Section 4: Underserved populations
• Section 5: Causes of gaps
• Section 6: Trends over time
• Section 7: Conclusion

Send questions about this report to dhswebmaildcts@dhs.wisconsin.gov.