The Department's Vision for Comprehensive Community Services

Wisconsin has long been a leader in developing supportive services for persons with mental health and substance abuse service needs living in the community.

With the development of the Comprehensive Community Services (CCS) rule (HFS 36), the Wisconsin Department of Health Services is increasing access to supportive services for children, adolescents, and adults, including older adults with mental health or substance use disorders.

CCS programs will provide psychosocial rehabilitation services to consumers who have needs for ongoing, high or low-intensity services resulting from mental health or substance use disorders but who are not in need of Community Support Program (CSP) services.

The Department recognizes the importance for mental health consumers who need more intensive support to have access to CSP services. The addition of CCS to the array of services will provide consumers and counties with more choices to match consumer needs with appropriate supports.

CCS programs will use a wraparound model that is flexible, consumer directed, recovery oriented, as well as strength and outcome based. The focus of CCS programs will be to assist consumers in efforts to maximize their independence.

In 1997, after a year of analysis and input from providers, stakeholders and consumers, Wisconsin's Blue Ribbon Commission on Mental Health issued its definitive recommendations on how to change the way mental health and substance abuse services are provided in Wisconsin.

The Department used these recommendations in developing Chapter HFS 36, WI Administrative Code, Comprehensive Community Services:

•  Meaningful participation of consumers, their chosen supports systems and/or families, and advocates is critical to successful system design, implementation and on-going quality improvement.
• Services focus on successful living in communities and provide access to jobs, housing and transportation as well as health, educational, vocational, social, spiritual and recreational resources. They make full use of natural supports.
• Consumers are empowered to take more control of their lives and are given the resources and skills to be responsible for their actions and decisions.
• Families of children and adolescents involved in the mental health and substance abuse system are recognized as central partners in the service and treatment process.
• Treatment and other services are cost effective and efficiently use all available resources, including natural supports, to achieve positive consumer outcomes.
• The mental health/substance abuse system takes a flexible, creative, and at times non-traditional approach to providing services. Services are comprehensive, culturally relevant and within available resources make every effort to meet the needs of consumers, families and communities.

The Department, and in particular, the Bureau of Prevention, Treatment and Recovery, views the creation of the CCS benefit as one of the ways to transform the mental health and substance abuse delivery system in Wisconsin.

It is anticipated that, over time, the success of this recovery-based program will stimulate changes in existing local programs to facilitate a seamless system of services based on hope, empowerment and recovery.

Last Revised: October 06, 2009