AB296: Bill Text

• Expands the ISP's coverage to children who are involved in 2 or more systems of care, as well as their families, and changes the name of the program to the CST initiative.

• To reflect the expansion of the program's focus, changes the terms "integrated services", "integrated service plan", and "interdisciplinary team" to "coordinated services", "coordinated services plan of care", and "coordinated services team", respectively.

• Includes tribes as entities that may administer the CST initiative.

• Provides funding to begin to phase in the remaining counties and tribes that do not currently operate either an ISP or a CST initiative, to enable these counties and tribes to establish the CST initiative.

• Amends the definition of CST to emphasize the process by which the child's family, service providers, and informal resource persons work together to respond to the needs of the child and family, rather than by describing the characteristics of the individuals on the team.

• Expands the required and optional representatives that serve on the coordinating committee in a county or tribe. The coordinating committee is the entity that:

— Prepares interagency agreements for the creation and operation of a CST initiative.

— Assesses how the CST initiative relates to other service coordination programs operating at the county, tribal, or local level.

— Assists the administering agency in developing the application for CST funding.

— Reviews determinations by the service coordination agency regarding program eligibility, appropriate family resources, and funding of services.

• Expands the duties of the coordinating committee to include:

— Establishing operational policies and procedures.

— Ensuring quality, including adherence to core values as adopted by the state advisory committee.

— Developing a plan for orientation of new coordinating committee members and CST members to the CST process.

— Identifying and addressing gaps in services.

— Ensuring client and partner agency satisfaction.

• Creates the role of initiative coordinator, and defines the initiative coordinator's duties, which are to:

— Bring together parents and staff from agencies and organizations to comprise the coordinating committee, and support their activities.

— Work with the coordinating committee to maintain and support agency participation as established in the interagency agreement.

— Work with the coordinating committee and service coordination agency to receive and review referrals.

— Work with the coordinating committee and service coordination agency to assure service coordination for all groups working with the child and the child's family.

— Guide the development of CSTs working with the child and the child's family to ensure compliance with the basic principles of the CST initiative's core values.

— Review plans of care.

— Assist the coordinating committee and family teams in establishing consistent measures for initiative development, implementation, evaluation, and monitoring of the project and outcomes.

— Facilitate public education and awareness of issues and programming for families and children.

— Ensure ongoing support and training related to the CST process to families, service coordinators, and providers.

— Provide support to service providers in developing strategies to enhance existing programs, to increase resources, and to establish new resources.

— Ensure that local and state agencies submit data and reports in an accurate and timely manner.

• Increases the annual appropriation to the department of health services to provide grants to counties for CST initiatives by $1,466,000 in general purpose revenue.

AB296, s. 1 Section 1. 20.435 (7) (co) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB296,4,5 20.435 (7) (co) Integrated service programs for children with severe disabilities Initiatives for coordinated services. The amounts in the schedule to fund county integrated service programs for children with severe disabilities and tribal initiatives under s. 46.56 to provide coordinated services.

Note: Modifies the integrated service program appropriation to provide funding for coordinated services for both county and tribal initiatives.

AB296, s. 2 Section 2. 38.14 (12) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB296,4,13 38.14 (12) Integrated service programs for children with severe disabilities Initiatives to provide coordinated services. If the county board of supervisors establishes an integrated service program for children with severe disabilities initiative to provide coordinated services under s. 59.53 (7), the district board may participate in an integrated service program for children with severe disabilities under s. 59.53 (7) the initiative and may enter into written interagency agreements or contracts under the program initiative.

Note: Modifies the powers of technical college district boards.

AB296, s. 3 Section 3. 46.215 (1) (q) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB296,5,5 46.215 (1) (q) If the county board of supervisors establishes an integrated service program for children with severe disabilities initiative to provide coordinated services under s. 59.53 (7), to participate in and administer an integrated service program for children with severe disabilities under s. 59.53 (7) the initiative, including entering into any written interagency agreements or contracts.

Note: Modifies the duties of the county department of social services in Milwaukee County.

AB296, s. 4 Section 4. 46.22 (1) (b) 1. i. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB296,5,11 46.22 (1) (b) 1. i. If the county board of supervisors establishes an integrated service program for children with severe disabilities initiative to provide coordinated services under s. 59.53 (7), to participate in and administer an integrated service program for children with severe disabilities under s. 59.53 (7) the initiative, including entering into any written interagency agreements or contracts.

Note: Modifies the duties of the county department of social services in counties other than Milwaukee County.

AB296, s. 5 Section 5 . 46.56 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB296,5,14 46.56 (title) Integrated service programs Initiatives to provide coordinated services for children with severe disabilities and families.

AB296, s. 6 Section 6. 46.56 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB296,5,18 46.56 (1) (a) "Administering agency" means a county department designated by the a county board of supervisors or by a tribe to administer the program an initiative.

Note: Modifies the current definition of "administering agency" to include tribes.

AB296, s. 7 Section 7. 46.56 (1) (ar) of the statutes is created to read:

AB296,5,20 46.56 (1) (ar) "Advocacy" means all of the following:

AB296,6,4 1. Actively supporting a child who is involved in 2 or more systems of care and his or her family under an initiative to enable their receipt of the full benefits of the initiative by ensuring that the coordinated services team approach to providing services and principles are followed.

AB296,6,7 2. Helping families of a child who is involved in 2 or more systems of care gain access to and a voice in the decision making that establishes the child's and family's plan of care.

AB296,6,10 3. Fostering strong working relationships among families, systems of care, and providers, with the goal of improving the lives of children who are involved in 2 or more systems of care and their families.

Note: Creates a definition of "advocacy".

AB296, s. 8 Section 8. 46.56 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB296,6,14 46.56 (1) (b) "Agency" means a public, tribal, or private nonprofit organization that provides treatment services for children with severe disabilities and their families services and other resources for children and families.

Note: Modifies the definition of "agency" to include public and tribal organizations and to broaden the description of services and resources provided.

AB296, s. 9 Section 9. 46.56 (1) (bm) of the statutes is created to read:

AB296,6,16 46.56 (1) (bm) "Child" means an individual under the age of 18.

Note: Creates a definition of "child".

AB296, s. 10 Section 10. 46.56 (1) (c) of the statutes is renumbered 46.56 (1) (om), and 46.56 (1) (om) (intro.), 3. and 4., as renumbered, are amended to read:

AB296,7,2 46.56 (1) (om) (intro.) "Child with severe disabilities Severe disability" means an individual who has not attained 18 years of age and whose a mental, physical, sensory, behavioral, emotional, or developmental disabilities disability, including severe emotional disturbance, or whose a combination of multiple these disabilities, that meets all of the following conditions:

AB296,7,5 3. Causes substantial limitations in the a child's ability to function in the his or her family, the school, or the community and with the child's his or her ability to cope with the ordinary demands of life.

AB296,7,7 4. Causes the a child to need services or other resources from 2 or more service systems of care.

Note: Modifies the current definition of "child with severe disabilities" to instead define "severe disability".

AB296, s. 11 Section 11. 46.56 (1) (de), (dm) and (ds) of the statutes are created to read:

AB296,7,10 46.56 (1) (de) "Family" means a child's primary caregiver or caregivers and the child's siblings.

AB296,7,13 (dm) "Family resources" means housing, environment, institutions, sources of income, services, education, a child's extended family and community relationships, and other resources families need to raise their children.

AB296,7,16 (ds) "Initiative" means a system that is based on the strengths of children and their families for providing coordinated services to children who are involved in 2 or more systems of care and their families.

Note: Creates definitions of "family", "family resources", and "initiative".

AB296, s. 12 Section 12. 46.56 (1) (e) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB296,8,2 46.56 (1) (e) "Intake" means the process by which the a service coordination agency or individuals designated by the coordinating committee under sub. (3) initially screens screen a child with severe disabilities who is involved in 2 or more systems of care and the child's his or her family to see if a complete assessment is needed determine eligibility for an initiative and the process by which the service coordination agency determines the need for a comprehensive clinical mental health assessment.

Note: Modifies the definition of "intake".

AB296, s. 13 Section 13 . 46.56 (1) (f) of the statutes is renumbered 46.56 (1) (ce) and amended to read:

AB296,8,8 46.56 (1) (ce) "Integrated Coordinated services" means treatment, education, care and support, services, and other resources provided, in a coordinated manner, for a child with severe disabilities who is involved in 2 or more systems of care and his or her family.

AB296, s. 14 Section 14 . 46.56 (1) (g) of the statutes is renumbered 46.56 (1) (cm) and amended to read:

AB296,8,14 46.56 (1) (cm) "Integrated service plan Coordinated services plan of care" means the a plan for treatment, education and support services under sub. (8) (h) for an eligible a child with severe disabilities who is involved in 2 or more systems of care and the child's his or her family under sub. (8) (h).

Note: Sections 13 and 14 modify the current definitions of "integrated services" and "integrated service plan" to instead define "coordinated services" and "coordinated services plan of care" and modify those definitions.

AB296, s. 15 Section 15 . 46.56 (1) (h) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB296,8,20 46.56 (1) (h) "Interagency agreement" means a written document of understanding among service providers and other partner agencies that are represented on a coordinating committee under sub. (3) that identifies mutual responsibilities for implementing integrated coordinated services for children with severe disabilities who are involved in 2 or more systems of care and their families.

Note: Modifies the definition of "interagency agreement".

AB296, s. 16 Section 16. 46.56 (1) (i) (intro.) and 4. of the statutes are consolidated, renumbered 46.56 (1) (cs) and amended to read:

AB296,9,10 46.56 (1) (cs) "Interdisciplinary team Coordinated services team" means a group of professionals, assembled by the service coordinator, from various service systems who meet all of the following criteria: 4. Are providing treatment, education or support services to the child with severe disabilities or the child's family, if the child or the child's family is receiving any treatment, education or support services individuals, including family members, service providers, and informal resource persons, who work together to respond to service needs of a child who is involved in 2 or more systems of care and his or her family.

Note: Modifies the current definition of "interdisciplinary team" to instead define "coordinated services team" and modifies the definition.

AB296, s. 17 Section 17. 46.56 (1) (i) 1. to 3. of the statutes are repealed.

Note: Repeals a portion of the definition of "interdisciplinary team".

AB296, s. 18 Section 18. 46.56 (1) (k) of the statutes is repealed.

Note: Repeals the definition of "program".

AB296, s. 19 Section 19. 46.56 (1) (L) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB296,9,22 46.56 (1) (L) "Service coordination" means a case management service that coordinates the coordination of multiple service providers who and family resources that are serving a particular child with severe disabilities who is involved in 2 or more systems of care and the child's his or her family. The term includes arrangement for coordination of the assessment process, development of an integrated service plan a coordinated services plan of care based on the strengths and needs identified in the assessment, advocacy for the needs of the child and the child's family, monitoring of the child's progress of the child or his or her family, facilitation of periodic reviews of the integrated service plan coordinated services plan of care, and coordination and maintenance of clear lines of communication among all service family resources providers and, the child, and the child's his or her family.

Note: Modifies the definition of "service coordination".