51.421 Community support programs.

(1) Purpose. In order to provide the least restrictive and most appropriate care and treatment for persons with serious and persistent mental illness, community support programs should be available in all parts of the state. In order to integrate community support programs with other long-term care programs, community support programs shall be coordinated, to the greatest extent possible, with the protective services system in a county, with the medical assistance program under subch. IV of ch. 49 and with other care and treatment programs for persons with serious and persistent mental illness.

(2) Services. If funds are provided, and within the limits of the availability of funds provided under s. 51.423 (2), each county department under s. 51.42 shall establish a community support program. Each community support program shall use a coordinated case management system and shall provide or assure access to services for persons with serious and persistent mental illness who reside within the community. Services provided or coordinated through a community support program shall include assessment, diagnosis, identification of persons in need of services, case management, crisis intervention, psychiatric treatment including medication supervision, counseling and psychotherapy, activities of daily living, psychosocial rehabilitation which may include services provided by day treatment programs, client advocacy including assistance in applying for any financial support for which the client may be eligible, residential services and recreational activities. Services shall be provided to an individual based upon his or her treatment and psychosocial rehabilitation needs.

(3) Departmental duties. The department shall:

(a) Promulgate rules establishing standards for the certified provision of community support programs by county departments under s. 51.42, except as provided in s. 51.032. The department shall establish standards that ensure that providers of services meet federal standards for certification of providers of community support program services under the medical assistance program, 42 USC 1396 to 1397e. The department shall develop the standards in consultation with representatives of county departments under s. 51.42, elected county officials and consumer advocates.

(b) Ensure the development of a community support program in each county through the provision of technical assistance, consultation and funding.

(c) Monitor the establishment and the continuing operation of community support programs and ensure that community support programs comply with the standards promulgated by rule. The department shall ensure that the persons monitoring community support programs to determine compliance with the standards are persons who are knowledgeable about treatment programs for persons with serious and persistent mental illness.

(d) Develop and conduct training programs for community support program staff.

History: 1983 a. 441; 1985 a. 120, 176; 1987 a. 27, 368; 1989 a. 31; 1993 a. 16; 1995 a. 27; 1997 a. 237; 2001 a. 16; 2005 a. 264; 2009 a. 28; 2015 a. 55; 2019 a. 9.