Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Behavioral Health topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bayfield County behavioral health staff describe heavy caseloads, request additional CCS facilitator
Summary
At the July 8 FBHSAC meeting, behavioral health case managers said the county has only two case managers and asked the committee to back a request for one additional full‑time CCS service facilitator, citing rising enrollment and heavy caseloads; the position is funded through Medicaid.
At a July 8 meeting of the Bayfield County Department of Human Services Family & Behavioral Health Services Advisory Committee, Behavioral Health Case Managers Jamie Allen and Vanessa Pierce described their work connecting residents to treatment, coordinating with law enforcement and providers, and supporting families.
"We meet people where they are and walk alongside them on their journey," Behavioral Health Case Manager Vanessa Pierce said, explaining that case managers focus on outreach, skill‑building and helping participants access services. Pierce clarified that case managers are not therapists and do not provide crisis intervention. "We are the outreach person who checks in on participants, holds them accountable, and holds the line until they can see a qualified provider," Allen added.
Jo Beth Gonzalez, Behavioral Health & Community Programs Services Section Manager, asked the committee to support adding one full‑time Service Facilitator to the County's Comprehensive Community Services (CCS) program. Gonzalez said enrollment in CCS continues to grow and that a typical Service Facilitator manages a caseload of about 12 to 15 participants; a caseload of 15 is generally considered heavy. Gonzalez said there are approximately 60 participants in CCS and that referrals average five to 10 at any given time. She said the requested position would be funded through Medicaid rather than the county levy.
Gonzalez also reported that Bayfield County's CCS program performs at or above state averages on the Adult Satisfaction Survey; Youth and Family Satisfaction measures were less consistent, a pattern Gonzalez attributed in part to small sample sizes.
The managers discussed coordination between CCS and the Community Support Program (CSP), noting CSP serves participants with higher needs who may require medication assistance and more frequent contact. Gonzalez said licensed clinical social worker Alan Spaude‑Filipszak provides clinical support while Tom Croteau continues as CCS service director until Gonzalez completes required clinical hours to assume that role.
Staff described housing challenges tied to participants' needs. Allen urged the committee to contact legislators to consider changes to eligibility for long‑term care or group housing for people with severe, persistent mental illness, saying current rules can leave people without appropriate placements. Croteau said recent new housing is market rate with long waiting lists and expressed hope that market availability may spur more affordable options.
Gonzalez closed the behavioral health segment by announcing an International Overdose Awareness Day event on Aug. 31 from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. on the Bayfield County Courthouse steps; Public Health will provide Narcan training and distribution.
The committee did not take a formal vote on the staffing request during the meeting; Gonzalez said staffing and funding details would be addressed through departmental budget and administrative processes.
