Human Services presenter outlines Kenosha County programs, cites 336,000 calls and $31M in child support

The human services presenter told the Kenosha County committee that the department handled more than 336,000 phone calls in 2025 and that child‑support collections exceeded $31,000,000 in 2024, while outlining eight divisions and several contracted programs. "In 2025, there were over 336,000 phone calls that we took," the presenter said, emphasizing intake volume across support staff and divisions.

Why it matters: Supervisors heard a consolidated snapshot of services and workload that the department says supports decisions on staffing, contracting and future agenda items. The presentation highlighted programs with modest budgets but large community impact (durable‑medical equipment, home visitation), as well as facilities and contractors that influence costs (Brookside Care Center, Chapter 51 placements, contracted behavioral‑health providers).

Department overview and key figures Presenter (Speaker 2) summarized eight divisions: most are housed in the Human Services Building, with two off‑site divisions (the medical examiner's office and Willowbrook/Brookside). The presenter noted many programs are state‑mandated and that department dashboards and program pages are available online.

Several numeric highlights were given during the presentation: the department logged more than 336,000 incoming calls in 2025 and the medical‑equipment and supply closet recorded over 6,000 contacts last year. Presenter (Speaker 2) said child‑support services collected more than $31,000,000 in 2024.

Behavioral health, contractors and Chapter 51 services The presenter said behavioral‑health services are substantial and often operated through contracts. She named Kenosha Human Development Services (KHDS) as a provider for crisis and care‑center work and described a contracted professional services group that runs the CCS program, which is reimbursed by Medicaid. The county recently added Lake Behavioral Health as a provider for Chapter 51 commitments, the presenter said, which allowed some people to receive care closer to home and reduced transportation costs.

Embedded social‑worker program The presentation outlined an embedded social‑worker initiative that began with one placement in the sheriff's office and now includes two embedded workers (one with the sheriff, one co‑funded with the Pleasant Prairie Police Department). Staff (Speaker 6) described the embedded workers' role: when law enforcement responds to calls that are not primarily public‑safety threats, an embedded social worker can stay with the family to coordinate services and follow up, allowing officers to clear and return to patrol. "The embedded social worker is gonna stay on depending on if they need to get enrolled into long term care, if they need to have a social worker assigned," the staff member said, adding the team tries to connect people to outpatient providers when possible.

Facilities, veteran services and public health work Presenter (Speaker 2) said Brookside Care Center is a 154‑bed skilled nursing facility that shifted its care model toward long‑term placements about 2½ years ago; she reported a morning census of 146. Willowbrook assisted living is a 24‑bed facility attached to Brookside and was briefly down one bed due to a death. The presenter also described public‑health environmental work (food‑service, beaches, wells) and an HUD lead‑remediation grant that funds home lead abatement. Veteran services have a new dashboard tracking which benefits and services veterans use across branches.

Workforce development and WIOA The presenter summarized workforce development, saying it encompasses economic support and child support and noted county participation on the Southeastern Wisconsin workforce board. She referenced WIOA in describing retraining and employer outreach; the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) is a federal program that funds many local workforce activities.

Next steps and committee requests Supervisors asked for more detail by division and for program sheets linking contracts to the programs they fund so the committee can better evaluate costs and outcomes. The presenter agreed to provide those materials and to prioritize future presentations by division and by costliest programs. The committee also discussed staffing and recruitment issues that may affect service delivery.

Votes at a glance - Approval of minutes: motion made and the committee voted "aye"; the chair stated the motion "passes, unanimously." (Mover/second not specified in the transcript.) - Motion to adjourn: motion seconded and passed by voice vote at the end of the meeting. (Mover/second not specified.)

The committee did not take action on new policy changes during the presentation; staff will return with linked program sheets and division directors for deeper briefings at future meetings.