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County staff report rise in emergency detentions, review CBRS and program metrics; director position posted
Summary
Portage County staff reported 35 emergency detentions in Q2 with 74% served in acute facilities, described crisis‑response procedures and community‑support program enrollments, and reviewed a 2026 budget described as "just under" 25,000,024.9 while noting upcoming staff recruitment and a planned retirement.
Lynn Croft presented the Division of Community Programs quarterly report to the Health and Human Services Board, with highlights on crisis response, community supports and department finances.
Croft said protective‑services investigations numbered 24 in the quarter and guardianship referrals were 19. Emergency detentions were up in Q2 at 35; of those, seven proceeded to full commitment and 10 to 90‑day settlement agreements. Crisis intervention outreaches totaled 26 and the department recorded 302 crisis contacts year‑to‑date.
She described the crisis response process: law enforcement conducts an initial screening, a regional crisis call center (Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin in Green Bay) triages calls and pages local crisis workers for on‑site assessment, and individuals typically undergo medical clearance at hospitals before placements can be arranged. Croft said the county aims to place most people locally; 74% of the 35 detentions were served within acute local facilities, which she said helps with discharge planning and family supports. For placements in larger institutes (IMDs) such as Winnebago, the county’s goal is brief stays—under two weeks—and the year‑to‑date average to psychiatric stability was about 11 days.
On community‑based placements, Croft described current CBRS (Community‑Based Residential Services) cases, including one voluntary resident at Deerpath paying through CCS who will discharge after Nov. 1, and noted a Rapids provider that had lost certification. She reported CLTS (Children’s Long‑Term Support) numbers: 35 of 41 screened children were enrolled, 21 new referrals arrived in the quarter, and 339 children were enrolled overall; 119 families used Children's Community Options Program funding in Q2. CCS (Comprehensive Community Services) served 219 individuals in Q2 with enrollments up and 23 consumers discharged (mostly consumer‑initiated).
Croft then provided a budget overview: she said the department projects to be within budget for 2025 and described the 2026 operating budget as "just under 25,000,024.9" as stated in the meeting; she said the budget includes a 3% wage increase, a 20% increase in health insurance premiums and an overall compensation change of about 3.8%. The department hopes to retain 2.55 FTEs that are currently listed in the proposed budget pending larger county board approval. Croft said her position and other roles are posted with application deadlines and she listed a planned retirement date of January 2; she said the county executive would likely appoint an interim until a permanent hire is made.
Board members asked for clarifications about timelines and local hospital processes; Croft said medical‑clearance timing varies with emergency department load and can range from roughly an hour to several hours in busy times, which affects placement timelines. The board moved into closed session after routine minutes approval and other business.
