Dawn Woodard
Division of Behavioral Health & Long Term Support Administrator
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The Division of Behavioral Health and Long Term Care Support offers programs for the elderly (age 60+) and disabled (developmentally disabled, chronically mentally ill, physically disabled, and alcohol/chemically dependent) persons.
The Community Options Program (COP) is a county administered program that can purchase a variety of supportive services for the elderly and disabled; including respite care, supportive home care, home modifications, adult day care, adaptive equipment, home delivered meals, adult day living skills, supportive employment and case management. COP’s aim is to provide people the help they need to live in community settings outside of nursing homes or institutions.
Developmentally Disabled Services
Developmental Disabilities include mental retardation, Cerebral Palsy, epilepsy, visual and audio impairments, and other neurological conditions. The disability must have occurred prior to the 21st birthday and be expected to continue indefinitely.
A case manager/service coordinator, who assists the person and the family or guardian, in assessing the needs and arranging for ongoing services, coordinates services for the developmentally disabled person in Columbia County.
Case Management/Service Coordinator
This service assists the individual in receiving appropriate services and planning for the future goals in living arrangements, work and socialization. Advocacy, information and referral are major parts of this service.
Counseling Services
Counseling is available through Columbia County Department of Health & Human Services. This service assists in accepting and adapting to the disability and integration into the community.
Respite Services
Respite is available to aid the families and caregivers with the care of the disabled individual. It allows for time out from the day-to-day care and the supervision necessary to maintain developmentally disabled people in their homes.
Vocational Services
Opportunities for Community Rehabilitation Center and supported employment services are available through contract service agencies. Referrals of developmentally disabled people by their case managers are made to various providers, and assessments of needs and abilities determine the services offered. Supported employment consists of placement in community jobs with supportive services, training and follow-up on the progress of each individual.
Individual Support Services
Daily Living Skills training and Recreation and Leisure experiences are two programs offered to enable the developmentally disabled person to become as independent as possible. Exploring community opportunities and maximizing personal abilities is the goal. Potential training and experience is provided in day-to-day living skills such as shopping, cooking, laundry, etc. Local recreational opportunities are used such as bowling, swimming, sporting events, etc. are offered on an individualized basis.
Birth to 3 Program
The Birth to 3 Program is a service to assist families in supporting their child’s development. If your child has difficulty with learning, communicating, moving or has a diagnosed medical, physical or mental condition such as Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Vision or Hearing impairment etc., they may be eligible to receive services.
The Birth to 3 Program will provide an evaluation to determine eligibility and complete a plan (Individual Family Service Plan/IFSP) to address your child’s and families’ needs. Services can include speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, educational services and service coordination connecting you with other helpful community resources. All services are provided in you child’s natural environment, your home, childcare setting etc.
If you are concerned about you child’s development , please call Bonnie Erickson, Birth to 3 Service Coordinator at 608-742-9231. A home visit will be scheduled to discuss your concerns and a developmental screening will be completed to help determine services.
Some Birth to 3 statistics for 2008:
- 104 referrals to the Birth to 3 Program- most referrals come from the child’s physician and parents
- all services are provided in the child’s natural environment (home, childcare setting etc.)
- there is a 45-day timeline to get the evaluation and Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) completed- (Columbia County Birth to 3 Program is in 100% compliance with this Federal Indicator)
- The Birth to 3 Program provides timely transition services to community programs at the age of 3 to ensure children continue to receive supportive services through the public school and/or preschool (Columbia County Birth to 3 Program is in 100% compliance with this Federal Indicator)
Wisconsin Birth to 3 Program State Annual Performance Reports
Wisconsin Birth to 3 Program 2007-2008 County Compliance with Federal Indicators
Supported Apartment Living Program
A limited number of apartments are available with supervision and support services available to assist the developmentally disabled person to maintain an apartment and become part of the community.
Adult Family Home Care
Developmentally Disabled Adults, who cannot live alone, may choose an alternate living arrangement with another adult or family. The licensed Adult Family Home is responsible for providing room and board and assistance to the individual. The resident reimburses the Adult Family Home Provider for room and board.
Group Home Services
Group Home living arrangements are available for developmentally disabled adults. The level of services varies and placement is based on the functioning level and needs of the residents. Full time staff are available to provide assistance in health, hygiene, finances, personal shopping, leisure time activities, medical appointments, social/personal relationships and daily living skills.
Payee, Protective Placements and Guardianship Services
These services are available under certain circumstances and in some cases must be ordered by the court system.
Information and Assistance
Once the Division of Aging & Long Term Care Support receives a referral, it is assigned to a social worker that does all of the pre-screening for any Long Term Support Program. If the referral is an abuse, guardianship, or welfare check, it is assigned to a different social worker that is trained to deal with these types of problems.
When the Division receives a referral for Long Term Support services, it has 10 working days in which to make contact with that individual. Since it is our policy to see each individual referred, we will set up an appointment to meet with the person either in his or her home, our office, or any place that is convenient for the individual. It is during this appointment that we complete the pre-screening paperwork that determines eligibility for the Long Term Support Programs. The worker will make sure that the residency requirements are met, as well as other areas of eligibility requirements. If all areas of eligibility are met, then the worker will offer placement on a waiting list. The worker will also offer an assessment and plan and will discuss with the individual those services that they might access in the community. If there is an interest, the worker will then make the necessary referrals for the individual as well as internal referrals for other Aging programs and/or the Division of Economic Support. Our goal is not to leave the individual without some type of help. We will try to connect them to agencies that will serve them within their means.
Once each quarter, the people on the waiting list will be sent a letter telling them where they are on the list in relationship to the prior quarter. It is from this waiting list that we select those individuals to serve with funding.
Our philosophy is to try to make sure that the client has some type of coverage, be it through an outside agency that could be covered via Medicare and/or private insurance, or through the available programs once we get them open to our agency. We try not to turn someone away without some avenue of assistance.
Talk to an informed staff member regarding questions on programs and services relating to your situation and your needs. Information is confidential, shared only with your knowledge and approval. This may include a booklet explaining the services available, a housing options booklet or other free brochures and materials as requested.