Sawyer County HHS reports slower January for involuntary placements; Northland Counseling credited for faster hospital screenings

Sawyer County Health and Human Services staff reported that January was an unusually quiet month for behavioral‑health hospital activity and involuntary commitments, and described operational changes meant to speed crisis screenings and reduce unnecessary placements.

The department said the county contracted with Northland Counseling to carry out mental‑health screenings at the local hospital. The change replaced a telehealth arrangement that sometimes delayed screenings for “seven, eight hours,” which staff said often led to patients staying in the emergency department and ultimately to involuntary placements. According to the HHS presentation, Northland’s in‑person screening has allowed assessments to happen more quickly and reduced the number of involuntary placements originating at the hospital.

Staff emphasized the county is altering its internal coordination to keep cases moving through the system. Julia (staff title: Interim Behavioral Health/Transitions lead, Sawyer County HHS) said she has taken on transitions responsibilities formerly handled by Joe (former transitions director) and described new biweekly "program connectedness" meetings and a mental‑health/AODA coordination group intended to track caseloads, referrals and transitions across crisis, community support and commitment services. "We're meeting biweekly…bringing leaders of our service lines together so that we can share what's happening," Julia said during the report.

Officials also discussed staffing and billing for community support services (CCS). The department said CCS can be billed to Medicaid but typically is cost neutral rather than revenue producing: state reconciliation processes can provide back‑end payments but do not fully cover expenses. Staff noted the department is cross‑training existing employees while recruiting for multiple open positions including a youth diversion and truancy specialist and mental‑health counselors.

Transportation and placement scarcity remain operational challenges. Staff said some voluntary placements have required travel out of the area — including a December case that required placement in Milwaukee — and that transportation adds significant cost. The county reported using a private transport vendor, Assurance, for non‑law‑enforcement transfers and said that vendor can move clients without restraints when appropriate.

Officials framed these changes as intended to reduce unnecessary involuntary commitments and control costs, while acknowledging limits — notably, the hospital’s different concept of “medically cleared” and the need to confirm sobriety and lab results before a full behavioral‑health assessment can proceed.

Votes at a glance: the committee approved the minutes from the January meeting by voice vote during the meeting; the roll call indicated six members present and the motion carried.