Community Support Programs
Community Support Programs (CSP) offer coordinated professional care and treatment for adults who live with severe mental illness. Consumers receive a range of services in the community. Services aim to meet a consumer’s unique needs, reduce symptoms, and lead to recovery. Program staff focus on these values:
- Collaboration—The service provider and consumer work together toward positive outcomes.
- Hope—CSP services focus on the consumer getting better.
- Personal choice—The consumer’s needs and goals drive any decisions about treatment and support.
- Respect—CSP consumers are experts in their own experiences.
Who is eligible
People who have a severe mental health diagnosis are eligible for the services provided by a CSP team. The condition must get in the way of daily living. It also must put a person at risk of needing to go to a hospital or an institution. People who have a history of taking part in high-risk behavior get priority in CSP.
CSP are only offered to people living in certain counties.
Learn more about the screening process and how to enroll.
What services are covered
Services for CSP can be tailored to a person’s needs at any time. They range from minimal to intensive, or a level that might normally happen in a hospital setting. Services may include:
- Education about mental illness.
- Group therapy.
- Help with daily living skills.
- Social and fun events.
- Work adjustment training.
A team model is used by CSP. Consumers are part of a team treatment plan meeting every six months. They define their goals and make sure those goals are part of their treatment.
How services impact consumers and communities
No other community service meets the needs of people with severe and persistent mental illness like CSP. That’s the finding of a recent analysis of Medicaid claims billed for people who were identified as having intensive treatment needs on the Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Functional Screen and who had an enrollment date in either CSP or a Comprehensive Community Services (CCS) program between 2014 and 2019. The use of acute services by CCS consumers with intensive needs who reside in counties with CSP was compared to that by similar consumers who reside in counties without CSP. There is a correlation between counties without CSP and a greater use of emergency and inpatient services which impact a consumer’s quality of life and carry significant fiscal impact.
Consumers without access to CSP experienced:
- 15% more emergency room visits over five years.
- 286% more psychiatric inpatient stays over five years.
- 34% greater associated Medicaid costs.
Who to contact for help
For questions or concerns about CSP, contact either:
- Your Tribal nation or county agency.
- Division of Care and Treatment Services—dhsdctscsp@dhs.wisconsin.gov.
For concerns about patient rights, contact the Client Rights Office. They help protect the rights of people who get services for mental illness or substance use in Wisconsin.