Starting Up an Adult Family Home
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The following is the text of response sent to all inquiries about
opening an Adult Family Home in Wisconsin:
Thank you for your interest in licensure as an Adult Family Home (AFH)
for 3 or 4 residents.
The Department of Health Services (DHS) has within its
administration, the Division of Quality Assurance (DQA)
which serves the frail elderly, persons with developmental disabilities,
mental illness, physical disabilities, and persons with substance abuse
problems. Regulation of facilities primarily serving adults is the
responsibility of the Division of Quality Assurance (DQA). DQA is
responsible for administering Wisconsin Administrative Code DHS 88 as
required by Chapter 50 of the Wisconsin Statutes, which governs licensure
of Adult Family Homes.
Adult family home means a place where 3 or 4 adults not related to the
licensee reside in which care, treatment or services above the level of
room and board, but not including nursing care, are provided to persons
residing in the home as a primary function of the place except that it
does not mean a place described in s. 50.01(1g)(a) to (d), Stats.
The Division of Quality Assurance (DQA) does not refer residents for
placement in assisted living facilities nor does the DQA provide funding
to facilities to care for residents. Residents may be eligible to
receive waiver funding through county Departments of Health or Human
Services. For more information regarding funding for residents in
assisted living, please visit the following websites:
Family Care
Community
Options Program (COP and COP-W)
Community
Integration Program (CIP II)
To apply for a license, please view the "Starting
an Adult Family Home" webcast. This is a requirement if you are a new provider.
Please review Chapter DHS 88 Wisconsin
Administrative Code http://www.legis.state.wi.us/rsb/code/dhs/dhs088.pdf
(exit DHS; PDF, 74 KB) and Chapter 50 of the
Wisconsin Statutes http://www.legis.state.wi.us/statutes/Stat0050.pdf
(exit DHS; PDF, 323 KB).
The following information is required prior to licensure:
Applications not acted upon by the applicant will be closed after
one (1) year.
Caregiver Background Checks
Caregiver background checks must be completed at least every four
years.
Caregiver Background Check
process website - Select Background Checks, Rules and Regulations.
- The website includes
information on Wisconsin Administrative Codes Chapter DHS 12 –Caregiver
Background Checks; Chapter DHS 13 – Reporting and Investigation of
Caregiver Misconduct; copies of forms and answers to frequently asked
questions.
The Department will complete caregiver background checks on the
following persons prior to initial licensure and every 4 years thereafter:
For non-government entities
- The owner of the entity, whether or not the person has regular, direct
contact with clients. If the owner is a corporation or other type of
business that does not have a single owner, then the organization may
designate one principal officer to legally represent the organization
for the purposes of fulfilling the background check requirement. For new
applicants, the individual who signs the application fulfills this
requirement.
- Principal officers, corporation or board members of the business
organization, who have regular, direct contact with clients.
- Non-client residents (over age 10) of the entity who have regular,
direct contact with clients.
For government and tribal entities
- An individual, e.g. the entity administrator designated by the
government agency or tribe who operates the entity, whether or not the
person has regular, direct contact with clients.
- Non-client residents (over age 10) of the entity who have regular,
direct contact with clients.
New applicants for licensure must submit a Background Information
Disclosure (BID) form, DHS-64 and a BID Appendix form, DHS-69, for each
individual as described above, following the Caregiver Background Check
process.
The entity must complete a caregiver background check on all caregivers. A
caregiver is a person who is all of the following:
- Employed by or under contract with an entity;
- Has regular, direct contact with the entity's clients or the personal
property of the clients; and is under the entity's control. "Direct
contact" is defined as face-to-face physical proximity to a client
that affords the opportunity to commit abuse or neglect or
misappropriation of a client’s property.
A completed caregiver background check consists of:
- A completed Background Information Disclosure (BID) form HFS-64;
- Response from the entity's inquiry to the Department of Justice; and
- The letter from DHS containing information regarding any government
findings of misconduct or credential limitations.
Copies of background checks for anyone covered under this rule must be
available for review upon Department request.
Licensing Fee:
A licensing fee of $171.00 is charged every two years. The fee is
submitted with the application and made payable to "DHS"
(Department of Health Services).
"Initial application fees and/or license/certification
continuation fees are NON - REFUNDABLE."
Address any questions and return the application, other materials and
checks to the Division of Quality of Assurance, Bureau of Assisted Living
regional office assigned to the county in which the facility is located.
See DQA regional office locations.
More Information about operating an adult family
home
Department of Commerce: Starting
a Business in Wisconsin (exit DHS)
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Last Updated: July 20, 2009
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