County staff told the joint committees on June 30 that the State of Wisconsin has issued an emergency rule defining licensing for so-called crisis care facilities (previously discussed locally as “triage centers”) and that the state biennial budget includes $10,000,000 in grant funding to support development of two regional facilities.

Todd Campbell and Carrie Simon reviewed a Centerstone analysis and its recommendations that Dane County streamline its mobile crisis strategy, centralize follow-up care, improve and standardize data collection, adopt technology for information-sharing and dispatch, and pursue a phased implementation with a neutral facilitator. Carrie Simon said the county has “a large number of resources available to the crisis system, but they're not as well organized or coordinated as they could be.”

On crisis care facilities, staff said the Department of Health Services (DHS) emergency rule and budget action are early milestones. The state budgeted $10 million for grants to support two regional crisis care facilities; DHS indicated initial certification priorities for locations at least 100 miles from Winnebago Mental Health Institute and in the western region of the state. County staff noted that Dane County largely falls within the 100-mile radius from Winnebago, which may affect prioritization and grant interest.

County staff repeatedly identified Medicaid reimbursement as a make-or-break factor for facility sustainability. Unlike many county crisis services billed through county MA or local mechanisms, these state-certified regional facilities would bill Medicaid directly; staff said the Medicaid benefit and billing details for these facilities have not yet been established and that the absence of that benefit complicates planning and sustainability assessments.

Staff also reviewed recent grants and implementation work: a 988 improvement grant supported MOUs, warm-handoff procedures and peer support follow-up; and a law-enforcement virtual-assessment grant funded tablets and training (44 tablets were purchased for squad-car use). Staff described administrative delays that compressed implementation windows — for example, a grant awarded in September had contract elements finalized months later, leaving little time for measured outcomes within the grant period.

Centerstone’s recommendations were presented as a roadmap: establish shared values and outcome measures across partners, standardize data collection, use technology to streamline referrals and crisis plans, and adopt phased governance and finance strategies. Staff said a neutral facilitator or project manager to help coordinate implementation would be helpful and that some work to fill gaps can proceed even with constrained county finances.

Committee members asked about next steps and timing. Staff said they are continuing planning work, tracking grant opportunities, and awaiting Medicaid policy decisions; no formal commitments or funding allocations were made at the June 30 meeting.