46.55(3m)
(3m) Within the limits of available funding under
s. 20.435 (7) (mb), the department shall award grants under this section in a total amount for all grants of not more than $250,000 in each fiscal year.
46.56
46.56
Integrated service programs for children with severe disabilities. 46.56(1)
(1)
Definitions. In this section:
46.56(1)(a)
(a) "Administering agency" means a county department designated by the county board of supervisors to administer the program.
46.56(1)(b)
(b) "Agency" means a private nonprofit organization that provides treatment services for children with severe disabilities and their families.
46.56(1)(c)
(c) "Child with severe disabilities" means an individual who has not attained 18 years of age and whose mental, physical, sensory, behavioral, emotional or developmental disabilities, or whose combination of multiple disabilities meets all of the following conditions:
46.56(1)(c)2.
2. Has persisted for at least one year or is expected to persist for at least one year.
46.56(1)(c)3.
3. Causes substantial limitations in the child's ability to function in the family, the school or the community and with the child's ability to cope with the ordinary demands of life.
46.56(1)(c)4.
4. Causes the child to need services from 2 or more service systems.
46.56(1)(e)
(e) "Intake" means the process by which the service coordination agency initially screens a child with severe disabilities and the child's family to see if a complete assessment is needed.
46.56(1)(f)
(f) "Integrated services" means treatment, education, care and support services provided, in a coordinated manner, for a child with severe disabilities and his or her family.
46.56(1)(g)
(g) "Integrated service plan" means the plan for treatment, education and support services for an eligible child with severe disabilities and the child's family under
sub. (8) (h).
46.56(1)(h)
(h) "Interagency agreement" means a written document of understanding among service providers that identifies mutual responsibilities for implementing integrated services for children with severe disabilities.
46.56(1)(i)
(i) "Interdisciplinary team" means a group of professionals, assembled by the service coordinator, from various service systems who meet all of the following criteria:
46.56(1)(i)1.
1. Are skilled in providing treatment, education and support services for children with severe disabilities and their families.
46.56(1)(i)2.
2. Conduct comprehensive evaluations of the child with severe disabilities and the child's family's needs for treatment and support services.
46.56(1)(i)3.
3. Possess skills and knowledge of the needs or dysfunctions of the specific type presented by the child being assessed.
46.56(1)(i)4.
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.
46.56(1)(j)
(j) "Parent" means a parent who has legal custody, as defined in
s. 767.001 (2), of a child, or a guardian or legal custodian of a child, as defined in
s. 48.02 (8) and
(11).
46.56(1)(k)
(k) "Program" means an integrated service program for children with severe disabilities.
46.56(1)(L)
(L) "Service coordination" means a case management service that coordinates multiple service providers who are serving a particular child with severe disabilities and the child's family. The term includes arrangement for assessment, development of an integrated service plan based on the assessment, advocacy for the needs of the child and the child's family, monitoring of the child's progress, facilitation of periodic reviews of the integrated service plan and coordination and maintenance of clear lines of communication among all service providers and the child and the child's family.
46.56(1)(m)
(m) "Service coordination agency" means a county department, agency, school district, cooperative educational service agency or county children with disabilities education board designated in an interagency agreement by a coordinating committee to provide intake and service coordination for one or more target groups of eligible children with severe disabilities and their families.
46.56(1)(n)
(n) "Service coordinator" means an individual who is qualified by specialized training and clinical experience with children with severe disabilities and their families and who is appointed by the service coordination agency to provide coordination of treatment, education and support services for eligible children with severe disabilities and their families.
46.56(1)(o)
(o) "Service system" means the public and private organizations that provide specialized services for children with mental, physical, sensory, behavioral, emotional or developmental disabilities or that provide child welfare, juvenile justice, educational or health care services for children.
46.56(1)(p)
(p) Treatment services" means the individualized social, emotional, behavioral and medical services designed to bring about habilitation, rehabilitation and appropriate developmental growth of a child with severe disabilities.
46.56(2)
(2) Establishment of programs. If a county board of supervisors establishes a program under
s. 59.53 (7), it shall appoint a coordinating committee and designate an administering agency. The program may be funded by the county or the county board of supervisors may apply for funding by the state in accordance with
sub. (15).
46.56(3)(a)(a) The coordinating committee shall have the responsibilities specified in
par. (d) and shall include representatives from all of the following:
46.56(3)(a)1.
1. The county department responsible for child welfare and protection services.
46.56(3)(a)2.
2. The county department responsible for mental health and alcohol and drug abuse services for children and families.
46.56(3)(a)3.
3. The county department responsible for providing services for children who are developmentally disabled.
46.56(3)(a)4.
4. The family support program under
s. 46.985 if the county has a family support program.
46.56(3)(a)5.
5. The juvenile court administrator or another representative appointed by the judge responsible for cases heard under
chs. 48 and
938.
46.56(3)(a)6.
6. The largest school district in the county and any cooperative educational service agency, if it provides special education in the county, or any county children with disabilities education board in the county, and any other school district in the county that is willing to participate in the program, at the discretion of the administering agency.
46.56(3)(a)7.
7. At least 2 parents of children with severe disabilities, or the number of parents of children with severe disabilities that it will take to make the parent representation equal to 25% of the coordinating committee's membership, whichever is greater.
46.56(3)(b)
(b) The coordinating committee may include any of the following:
46.56(3)(b)1.
1. Representatives of the vocational rehabilitation office that provides services to the county.
46.56(3)(b)2.
2. Representatives of a technical college district that is located in the county.
46.56(3)(b)4.
4. Representatives of health maintenance organizations that are operating in the county.
46.56(3)(b)5.
5. Representatives of law enforcement agencies that are located in the county.
46.56(3)(b)7.
7. Representatives of agencies that are located in the county.
46.56(3)(c)
(c) An existing committee within the county may serve as the coordinating committee if it has the membership required under
par. (a) and agrees to undertake the responsibilities in
par. (d).
46.56(3)(d)1.a.
a. Prepare one or more interagency agreements in accordance with
sub. (5) that all participatory organizations in the program agree to follow in creating and operating a program.
46.56(3)(d)1.b.
b. Assess how the program relates to other service coordination programs operating at the county or local level and take steps to work with the other service coordination programs and to avoid duplication of activities.
46.56(3)(d)1.c.
c. If a county applies for funding under
sub. (15), assist the administering agency in developing the application required under
sub. (15) (b).
46.56(3)(d)1.d.
d. Review determinations by the service coordination agency regarding eligibility, assessment, appropriate services, or funding of services at the request of any applicant, recipient, parent or participating county department, agency, school district, cooperative educational service agencies or county children with disabilities education boards. The committee shall adopt written procedures for conducting reviews.
46.56(3)(d)2.a.
a. Act as a consortium to pursue additional funding for the program through grants from the state or federal government or private foundations.
46.56(3)(d)2.b.
b. Establish target groups of children with severe disabilities and their families to be served based on disability of the child, age of the child, geographic areas within the county and other factors with the approval of the department. If a county applies for funding under
sub. (15), children with severe emotional disabilities are required to be a target group.
46.56(4)
(4) Role of administering agency. The administering agency designated under
sub. (2) shall do all of the following:
46.56(4)(a)
(a) Oversee the development and implementation of the program and designate the staff needed for the program.
46.56(4)(b)
(b) Assist the coordinating committee in drafting and executing interagency agreements and any other operations necessary for the start-up and operation of the program.
46.56(4)(c)
(c) Distribute information about the availability and operation of the program to the general public as well as to public or private service providers who might seek to make referrals to the program.
46.56(4)(d)
(d) If the county board of supervisors decides to seek state funding under
sub. (15), develop the application in cooperation with the coordinating committee.
46.56(4)(e)
(e) Undertake such other activities in compliance with another provision of the statutes, department rules and guidelines, interagency agreements and the directions of the coordinating committee as are necessary to ensure the effective and efficient operation of the program.
46.56(5)
(5) Interagency agreement. An interagency agreement shall include all of the following:
46.56(5)(a)
(a) The identity of every county department, agency, school district, cooperative educational service agency or county children with disabilities education board, technical college district or other organization that will participate in the program.
46.56(5)(b)
(b) The identification of services and resources that the participating organizations will commit to the program or will seek to obtain, including joint funding of services and funding for the qualified staff needed to support the program.
46.56(5)(c)
(c) The designation of service coordination agencies.
46.56(5)(d)
(d) The identification of any group of children with severe disabilities who will be targeted for services through the program.
46.56(5)(e)
(e) The procedures for outreach, referral, intake, assessment, case planning and service coordination that the program will use.
46.56(5)(f)
(f) The specific criteria, based on
sub. (7), that will be used for deciding whether a child with severe disabilities and his or her family are eligible for services through the program.
46.56(5)(g)
(g) The procedures to be followed to obtain any required authorizations for sharing of confidential information among organizations providing treatment, education and support services to a child with severe disabilities and his or her family.
46.56(5)(h)
(h) The procedures that will be used for resolving conflicts among service providers or between clients and service providers.
46.56(5)(i)
(i) The methods that will be used to measure program effectiveness, including client satisfaction, and for revising the operation of the program in light of evaluation results.
46.56(6)
(6) Roles of service coordination agency, service coordinator and interdisciplinary team. 46.56(6)(a)(a) There may be one or more service coordination agencies participating under the program. The organizations and the target groups that are to be served shall be identified in the interagency agreement under
sub. (5). A service coordination agency shall:
46.56(6)(a)1.
1. Be selected based on the experience of the service coordination agency or its staff in providing services;
46.56(6)(a)2.
2. Identify a specific individual to act as service coordinator for each child with severe disabilities and the child's family to facilitate the implementation of the integrated service plan;
46.56(6)(a)3.
3. Provide or arrange for intake, assessment, case planning and service coordination under
sub. (8); and
46.56(6)(a)4.
4. Act as a resource for information about other services for children with severe disabilities and their families who are not eligible for the program, if the coordinating committee determines that this service can be provided without interfering with the primary purpose of the program.
46.56(6)(c)
(c) The interdisciplinary team shall have the functions specified under
sub. (8) (f) and
(h).
46.56(7)
(7) Eligibility of children and families. Children with severe disabilities and their families shall be eligible for the program. The coordinating committee may establish specific additional criteria for eligibility for services and may establish certain target groups of children with severe disabilities to receive services. If target groups are established, only children with severe disabilities falling within the target groups are eligible for the program. Any eligibility criteria shall meet all of the following conditions:
46.56(7)(a)
(a) Be based on a community assessment that identifies areas of greatest need for integrated services for children with severe disabilities.
46.56(7)(b)
(b) Give priority to children with severe disabilities who are at risk of placement outside the home or who are in an institution and are not receiving integrated community-based services, or who would be able to return to community placement or their homes from an institutional placement if such services were provided.
46.56(7)(c)
(c) Not exclude a child with severe disabilities or that child's family from services because of lack of ability to pay.
46.56(8)
(8) Referral, intake, assessment, case planning and service coordination. 46.56(8)(a)(a) Referrals to the program may come from any county departments, agencies, school districts, cooperative educational service agencies, county children with disabilities education boards, technical college districts, courts assigned to exercise jurisdiction under
chs. 48 and
938 or any other organization or the child with severe disabilities or his or her family may contact the administering agency or service coordination agency to request services.
46.56(8)(b)
(b) Upon referral, staff from the service coordination agency shall screen the referral to determine if the child with severe disabilities and the child's family appear to meet the eligibility criteria and any target groups established by the coordinating committee. If the child with severe disabilities and the child's family appear to be eligible, the staff shall gather information from the child's family and any current service providers to prepare an application for the program.
46.56(8)(c)
(c) Consent for release of information and participation of a child with severe disabilities and his or her family in the program and in the program evaluation must be obtained from the child's parent, or the child, if appropriate or required, or by order of a court with appropriate jurisdiction.
46.56(8)(d)
(d) The service coordination agency shall review the completed application and, in light of the eligibility criteria in the interagency agreement and
sub. (7), determine whether the child with severe disabilities and the child's family are appropriate for services through the program. The service agency shall approve or disapprove each application within 30 days after the date on which the application was received.
