[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6426297,"mediaKeyId","5893384-f277147e4c75c306b163a968c100e48f","parentId",5893384,"title","Richland County committee elects leadership, approves provider contract increases, grants and penalty payment","audioSeconds",317,"startMs",2973000,"endMs",3290000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5893384-f277147e4c75c306b163a968c100e48f&start=2973&end=3290","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5893384-f277147e4c75c306b163a968c100e48f/thumbnail_2973000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6426297/Richland-County/Wisconsin/Richland-County-committee-elects-leadership-approves-provider-contract-increases-grants-and-penalty-payment","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6426297-68ce8152d6cd56b37fd5cd2cafa597f8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771014545&Signature=S5KsJPoHpNbyCEOgoUt2TJU2h3~AFd3E8U9ImGm~pjHQhkEatG2-0~nUCuvKJvUU17GuIJvmc3FF7xAjiFP~C6Sbb3olvwmqu~VvRESq~kyjB0EnqyGc5E2dmc8sWMBBGT4ZMRdUTJ4aY1QrCbXwn~OLpeuGDirp0WsRMNmzDV1M4YfV1DZ3xA5E5CDITmvZrFCG4hHH8ermFI1~4l67fIBpcFfwM8nEG2qD0tVSDvjN45IgHEx7cuyR82Sool7aDl2Ee5WlxsjKCggU1bS5YyD77IpRlyj1o7VpOlNwZQVxfNepG3HWJdcun7aicEaMCNwAAME9JUxeYGN68a4WsA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Richland County, WI","date","2025-10-02T23:42:18Z","article","Sandy Kramer was elected chair and Larry Engle was elected vice chair of the Richland County Community and Health Services Standing Committee during the committee's Oct. 2 meeting.

The committee approved multiple administrative items by voice vote, including a contract amendment for a CCS provider, acceptance of a state specialized transportation grant application, an annual vehicle memorandum of understanding with Pine Valley Community Village, a resolution urging state assistance to offset SNAP-related fiscal impacts, and payment of a federal penalty tied to a recent survey of county long-term care services.

The leadership vote completed early in the meeting. Committee members moved by voice votes to appoint Kramer as chair and Engle as vice chair; the committee recorded voice approvals without a roll-call tally.

On contract matters, the committee approved an amendment increasing the estimated 2025 contract amount for Red Maple Consulting Services, a county CCS (Comprehensive Community Services) provider. Committee materials show the original contract was estimated at $150,000, and staff projected total 2025 use at roughly $220,000; the provider is paid at $159.26 per hour. Health and Human Services staff said these services are 100% reimbursed through Medicaid. A motion to approve the amendment was made and approved by voice vote.

The committee also approved the annual application for the specialized transportation grant from the State of Wisconsin. The grant total shown in committee materials is $79,889 with a required county match of $15,978 (20%). The award supports medical rides through the county's volunteer driver program and helps support the county bus program.

Members approved the 2026 vehicle memorandum of understanding with Pine Valley Community Village, which continues an arrangement under which Pine Valley assumes upkeep and insurance for a vehicle supplied under a prior grant; the memorandum is renewed annually.

The committee passed a resolution urging the state to provide funding to offset county fiscal impacts caused by recent federal SNAP (FoodShare) changes and to work with counties on adequate administrative resources. Staff described two primary concerns: a potential increase in county liability if case error rates rise and a proposed reduction in administrative reimbursement from a historic \"50 cents on the dollar\" to \"25 cents on the dollar\" for some overages. The resolution was approved by voice vote.

Finally, the committee approved payment of a federal civil money penalty of $114,440 tied to a recent state survey finding noncompliance related to change-of-condition documentation in two resident incidents. Staff said the finding stemmed from documentation and scope-of-practice issues; the department proposed spreading the payment over three months to reduce immediate cash flow impact.

All above items were approved by voice vote with no recorded roll-call tallies noted in the meeting record.

Votes at a glance

- Election: Sandy Kramer — Committee chair (voice vote; approved)
- Election: Larry Engle — Committee vice chair (voice vote; approved)
- Contract amendment: Red Maple Consulting Services — increase to projected 2025 contract (motion made; voice vote approved). Contract terms discussed: original estimate $150,000; projected need ~$220,000; provider hourly rate $159.26; services 100% Medicaid-reimbursed.
- Grant application: 2025 Specialized Transportation (State of Wisconsin) — total $79,889; county match $15,978 (20%) (motion made; voice vote approved).
- Memorandum of Understanding: 2026 vehicle MOU with Pine Valley Community Village — annual renewal; Pine Valley covers upkeep/insurance/title/registration (motion made; voice vote approved).
- Resolution: Urging state funding to offset SNAP/FoodShare fiscal impacts and restore administrative reimbursement (motion made; voice vote approved).
- Payment authorization: Civil money penalty for facility survey — $114,440; staff proposed payment spread over three months (motion made; voice vote approved).

Committee chair Kramer opened the meeting and presided over routine motions and roll-call attendance before the items above were taken up. Several items were described as routine or previously vetted by the county's Transportation Coordinating Committee and thus moved with little additional discussion.

A full transcript of the meeting and committee packet are available from Richland County; motions and staff reports recorded in committee materials were the primary sources for the actions summarized here.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Community and Health Services - 2025/10/02","oneSentenceSummary","Sandy Kramer was elected chair and Larry Engle was elected vice chair of the Richland County Community and Health Services Standing Committee on Oct. 2, and the committee approved a series of administrative actions including a provider contract amendment, a state transportation grant application, an annual vehicle memorandum of understanding, a SNAP-related resolution, and payment of a federal penalty.","taxTitle","Richland County, Wisconsin","taxId",72898,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6426287,"Richland County public health outlines mental health and substance-misuse initiatives, business toolkit and trainings underway",464,1661000,2125000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5893384-f277147e4c75c306b163a968c100e48f&start=1661&end=2125","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5893384-f277147e4c75c306b163a968c100e48f/thumbnail_1661000.jpg","/articles/6426287/Richland-County/Wisconsin/Richland-County-public-health-outlines-mental-health-and-substance-misuse-initiatives-business-toolkit-and-trainings-underway","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6426287-aba77bf3321a3a092708f2efd778a7d2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771014545&Signature=AVXVegfwIiGWMghfLiSAaWHSrH2aSquMkF~qLYImrPgLsbqn1U~2EBuYG4uLG1jlwX8g47ng65T494z6d065mZG0KnXSSV~dZk4mpuZw1VO9fKz8D-J94lIT44CHPBUd1g9DjKud4pdedNaKkznrzbv~A-AYqkQY7tOW2pptC4cThAvyTD7ZM7wmlmq~OxA0Hx6e8oxjLttIWFFAc-priUdLrrQWAI7cC7G~d5pjJL3JdGEb-wky-~gryhBxwv3babTE~5GFQOZZfKPFRFKGeDCcj7fRn5TU~DAEaR4vUqJuiamBVD6vZym7xmuRBqNLa3Nzen2-Um0umJyczVq5-g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Evan, public health specialist with Richland County Health and Human Services, briefed the Community and Health Services Standing Committee on Oct. 2 on implementation of the county’s Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), focusing on mental health and substance misuse.

The CHIP, adopted after a county community health assessment, identified two priority areas: substance misuse (with an emphasis on adult binge drinking) and mental health. \"We started implementation in May 2024,\" Evan said, describing work groups for each priority and a mix of seven strategies that range from information provision to policy modification.

For substance misuse, the county partnered with the Partners for Prevention coalition to perform alcohol compliance checks with law enforcement and to promote event safety at community gatherings. Evan said beverage-server training is scheduled for Nov. 3 at the Phoenix Center for licensed servers.

In mental health, staff formed a new work group and focused on employers and stigma reduction. The county distributed a mental-health business toolkit to local employers; 21 businesses completed a survey and 13 indicated they were receptive to receiving additional resources. \"We created this mental health business toolkit,\" Evan said, noting toolkit materials include QR codes and links that employers can share with staff.

Public outreach included a Mental Health Awareness Month campaign with window clings distributed to more than 70 businesses and regional radio promotion. The county also collaborated with a local walking program to share weekly resources on physical activity, mindfulness and stress reduction with more than 310 participants.

The county has implemented the \"Make It Okay\" stigma-reduction curriculum developed by HealthPartners in Minnesota; Evan and Alicia Woodhouse are trained facilitators. Since August the county offered three presentations: one to a coordinating meeting with seven attendees, a community event at the Brewer Public Library with 11 attendees and two employer sessions at Schmidt Woodland Hills with a combined 42 attendees. Post-event surveys from the community session (8 returned) indicated increased knowledge and a high likelihood participants would share resources.

Evan said the work group intends to continue outreach to businesses, expand presentations and promote protective factors such as physical activity and social supports. He also described measurement plans: the county will track long-term objectives including the County Health Rankings metric for poor mental-health days and measures from the community health assessment planned for the next cycle (likely 2027). \"There are two long term objectives that we're looking at,\" Evan said, noting national and state data sources such as the Youth Risk Behavior Survey for youth measures and hospital data for substance-related emergency visits.

Committee members asked about access to providers and psychiatrists in the county. Staff said Richland County has psychiatry and psychology services but appointment availability is limited and many counties face provider shortages; telehealth partially mitigates gaps. The county will continue training presentations, outreach to employers and work with health-care partners to identify screening and referral pathways.

Committee members expressed support for continued measurement and for targeting populations with access barriers, including people without employer-provided coverage and veterans.

The county’s next steps include additional business outreach, more community presentations of Make It Okay, continued event safety work and tracking CHIP measures over time.","Public health staff reported on the community health improvement plan, focusing on mental health and substance misuse. Initiatives include a business mental-health toolkit, the \"Make It Okay\" stigma-reduction training, event safety and beverage server training, and measures for long-term evaluation.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6426283,"Richland County HHS reports steady budget use, placement costs average about $197 per day; behavioral health manager role vacant",396,416000,812000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5893384-f277147e4c75c306b163a968c100e48f&start=416&end=812","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5893384-f277147e4c75c306b163a968c100e48f/thumbnail_416000.jpg","/articles/6426283/Richland-County/Wisconsin/Richland-County-HHS-reports-steady-budget-use-placement-costs-average-about-197-per-day-behavioral-health-manager-role-vacant","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6426283-d27703a8f8d9ce9515ed964fa2f84270/orig.mp4?Expires=1771014545&Signature=MG6bgsOB2xLvhdpD8qqQBY~xEEujW9AdDMdyU0iaCQOeZV578v0PfvzJ4vLbgGhOd99KcIQJOilIbVmc1naedQD7TAxYPI6rY1WSzRxzRLsJvCd4s29RTMWd28ya09PjVtvgNFY5hM~ZVE3FIfoCja2VN9GUFQr2oSa52puFArrQZc6pStrid7jT9qg6NPdArMrnYMCiDEzMGpnzYuyi8EWt~TAbksDdQlrIcEVp29KTFIJIxgUdSfRqdrFa8VzfiHeUwvbwdyXUMnTsWPLN3FZ~NC8tebV6GwmOkxE1SnzfVxb0QmX6d1z7iMrzwdIYg17uOuQ5Ked~Vqa~Tmm~-Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Richland County Health and Human Services staff told the Community and Health Services Standing Committee on Oct. 2 that through August the department’s budget utilization was approximately 65%, roughly in line with the 67% of the year elapsed, and that most programs are tracking as expected.

Staff reported that the behavioral health manager recently resigned and the position has been posted; interim supervision was assigned to unit staff while recruitment proceeds.

On placement costs, staff reviewed adult placement expenses year to date for 2025: the total adult placement expense reported was $408,715 and, when divided by total placement days, produced an average county cost of about $197 per day across placements. Staff emphasized that many placements are offset by reimbursements such as Medicaid; the county’s Comprehensive Community Services (CCS) program can be 100% reimbursed when clients are eligible.

Budget details in the committee packet highlighted a few nonroutine expenses: a lighting update reported at about $14.75 (as reported in the packet), a required three-year Medicaid/Medicare provider reenrollment fee of about $730, and a postage meter refill at about $4,000. Staff also noted corrected figures in the placement addendum linked in the packet and said placement funds have leveled off as recent high-cost cases closed.

Placement-utilization percentages were called out by program: CCS utilization was about 75.6% and the children’s program for disabilities was about 87.9% — both described as fully reimbursed programs, reducing immediate county budgetary concern. Child and youth services utilization was reported closer to 55–60%.

Staff cautioned that a single high-cost placement can dramatically sway totals; they used the average-per-day calculation to provide broader context beyond an isolated $2,000-a-day contract that had drawn attention at a prior meeting. \"If this individual would no longer be eligible for the comprehensive community services program, obviously that average would skyrocket,\" staff said, noting reimbursement levels are key to county costs.

Staff also reported the county had sent a press release seeking applications for opioid-settlement funding and plans to present recommendations to the committee in November.

Committee members asked questions about call-center closures, the upcoming budget process and where final budget approvals occur; staff said the county administrator manages the finance and executive committee process and that the 2026 budget remains in the approval process with no substantive changes since last month.","Health and Human Services staff reported budget utilization near expected levels, placement costs averaging roughly $197 per day across placements, and that the behavioral health manager recently resigned. Staff said placement totals are largely reimbursed and flagged higher utilization areas but expressed no immediate budget concern.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Richland County committee elects leadership, approves provider contract increases, grants and penalty payment

Richland County public health outlines mental health and substance-misuse initiatives, business toolkit and trainings underway

Richland County HHS reports steady budget use, placement costs average about $197 per day; behavioral health manager role vacant