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County announces tighter provider qualifications in upcoming psychotherapy and substance‑use RFPs
Summary
La Crosse County said upcoming RFPs for psychotherapy, substance-use treatment and employment services will change provider qualifications: clinical interns will not be eligible to provide psychotherapy; preference given to agencies that bill outside CCS for continuity; employment services will favor IPS and exclude sheltered workshops/clubhouses.
La Crosse County Human Services briefed vendors on planned changes to RFPs for psychotherapy, outpatient and residential substance‑use treatment, and employment services. Heather Lind, a CCS supervisor, said the RFPs will reflect policy changes from last fall and will set clearer licensing and billing criteria.
Lind said the RFPs will require therapists to meet specific licensing thresholds: clinical interns (the former QTT type 2 role) will not be able to provide psychotherapy under the new specifications, and sole providers must meet DQA/DHS licensing criteria (for example, DHS75-level clinical credentials or equivalent state standards). The county also plans to give preference in referral prioritization to agencies that provide services outside CCS — for example through private insurance or private pay — to promote continuity of care before and after CCS involvement.
On substance‑use treatment, the RFP will cover outpatient counseling and residential treatment but will not cover ordered assessments, urine screens, detox, inpatient or opioid‑agonist medications. Employment-service solicitations will favor evidence‑based models, such as Individual Placement and Support (IPS), and will explicitly exclude funding for sheltered workshops and clubhouses.
Lind said the county expects to release the RFPs within about a month and will set the referral and rate structure this fall so contracts can begin Jan. 1. Vendors were advised to review forthcoming RFP language carefully and prepare any required credential documentation.
