Section 1: Overview
Introduction
A comprehensive mental health and substance use services system offers a range of services, including prevention, early intervention, crisis care, outpatient, residential and inpatient care, and recovery support services for individuals, families, and communities.
Wisconsin's mental health and substance use services system includes publicly operated and privately operated components.
The publicly operated parts of the system are managed by Tribal nations and counties. Wisconsin is a home rule state, which means Tribal nations and counties are responsible for supporting their members and residents with mental health and substance use conditions. Each Tribal nation and county establishes its own programs and budgets for this care and treatment and may limit services based on available resources. There currently are 11 Tribal human services agencies and 67 human services agencies serving 72 counties.
The privately operated parts of the system include providers certified by the state under one or more administrative codes. These providers often collaborate with Tribal nations and counties.
This analysis serves to identify gaps in the statewide mental health and substance use services system by leveraging and evaluating input from those familiar with this system.
This report is a follow-up to the UW Population Health Institute's 2019 Wisconsin Behavioral Health Systems Gaps Report (PDF) published in 2020, which was funded by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
The UW Population Health Institute was contracted to facilitate the collection and synthesis of qualitative data for this follow-up report. Analysis and final reporting of the findings was a collaboration between the UW Population Health Institute and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services' Division of Care and Treatment Services and Office of Policy and Initiatives and Budget.
Statutory requirements
Wis. Stat. ch. 51 establishes the state's policy for mental health and substance use services. According to the policy statement contained in the introduction to Wis. Stat. ch. 51, it is the state's intention, within the limits of available funds, to establish a unified system for the provision of services that assures all people in need of care access to the least restrictive treatment appropriate to their needs, and movement through all treatment components to assure continuity of care.