Committee backs protective‑placement contract for Madison group home, says it will lower county daily cost

The Richland County Health and Human Services Committee on Sept. 4 voted to forward a resolution to the county board to contract with Reston Residential in Madison for a protective placement for a county resident.

"We found a group home at Reston Residential. It's in Madison, Wisconsin that I've agreed to take our consumer," Brandy, a public‑health/behavioral‑health staff member, said during the meeting.

Staff told the committee the new placement reduces the provider charge from about $2,800 a day at the previous facility to approximately $2,100 a day at Reston, a reduction of roughly $600 daily. A substantial portion of the placement cost is billed through the county's CCS (Comprehensive Community Services) program and Medicaid, staff said, which reduces the county's net daily obligation.

Committee members asked about how much of the placement ultimately becomes a county cost. Staff said the county's reimbursement and recoupment processes can delay a final per‑day county cost estimate; final reconciliation for prior years' placements typically occurs late in the year when state reimbursements are processed.

A committee motion to forward the contract to the county board carried; meeting remarks show the committee voted to send the item forward but do not include a roll‑call tally in the transcript.

Why it matters: protective placements are often court‑ordered, can be expensive, and the choice of provider affects the county's short‑term and long‑term budget exposure. The county will present the contract to the county board for final approval.