DHS 61.76DHS 61.76 Rehabilitation program. The community mental health program shall be responsible for the provision of an organized rehabilitation service designed to reduce the residual effects of emotional disturbances and to facilitate the adjustment of individuals with mental illnesses, intellectual disabilities, or emotional disturbances in the community through a variety of rehabilitation services. When possible, these services should be provided in conjunction with similar services for other disabilities. A rehabilitation program shall comply with all of the following:

DHS 61.76(1)(1) Required personnel. A person responsible for coordination of rehabilitation services shall be named and all staff shall have qualifications appropriate to their functions. Each such person shall have the required educational degree for his or her profession and shall meet all requirements for registration or licensure for that position in the state of Wisconsin.

DHS 61.76(2)(2) Program operation and content. Because of the variety of programs and services which are rehabilitative in nature, individual program content is not enumerated. Such facilities as halfway houses, residential care facilities, foster and group homes shall meet all departmental and other applicable state codes. The department of health services shall evaluate each proposal for funding of rehabilitation services on the basis of individual merit, feasibility and consistency with the approved community plan required in s. 51.42, Stats. Applicants for aid under this section must fully describe the rehabilitation service designed to meet the particular needs of the residents of their county or counties, taking into consideration existing community resources and services.

DHS 61.76 HistoryHistory: Cr. Register, March, 1977, No. 255, eff. 4-1-77; renum. from PW-MH 60.68, Register, September, 1982, No. 321, eff. 10-1-82; correction in (2) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 6., Stats., Register November 2008 No. 635; CR 20-068: am. (intro.) Register December 2021 No. 792, eff. 1-1-22.

DHS 61.77DHS 61.77 Consultation and education program. Prevention is as important to mental illness as it is to physical illness. Certain facts and relationships between mental illness and environmental factors, individual personal contacts, and human development stages can be the basis for sound primary prevention programs. Education programs designed to increase the understanding and acceptance of the mentally ill are especially vital as increased numbers of persons receive needed treatment in their own community. Such programs can help prevent the chronicity of recurrence of mental illness. They can bring persons to seek counsel or treatment earlier and help to remove what has been an unacceptable “label” for family, friends, and co-workers. Because consultation and education programs are required elements of community mental health programs, the activities must be as well defined, organized and provided for as those for other program elements. Mental health staff and time allocations must be made and structured consultation and education programs designed and carried out.

DHS 61.77(1)(1) Consultation required personnel. The mental health coordinator or designee shall be responsible for the consultation program. Mental health staff shall respond to individual consultation requests. In addition staff shall actively initiate consultation relationships with community service agency staff and human service personnel such as clergy, teachers, police officers and others.

DHS 61.77(2)(b)(b) There shall be a planned consultation program using individual staff skills to provide technical work-related assistance and to advise on mental health programs and principles. The following human service agencies and individuals shall have priority for the service:

DHS 61.77(3)(3) Education required personnel. The qualified educator maintained by the community board shall be responsible for the mental health education program. Refer to this chapter. Mental health staff members shall cooperate and assist in designing and carrying out the mental health education program, providing their specialized knowledge on a regular, established basis to a variety of specified activities of the service. In cooperation with the education specialist maintained by the board, additional education staff may be employed on a full-time or part-time basis. Education services can also be contracted for through the same procedures followed for other service elements contracts.