46.215(1)(t) (t) At the discretion of the county board of supervisors, to combine with one or more other counties to establish a county department of social services on a multicounty basis. A multicounty department of social services established under this paragraph shall meet the requirements for a county department of social services under this section.

46.215(1m) (1m) Exchange of information; long-term care. Notwithstanding ss. 46.2895 (9), 48.78 (2) (a), 49.45 (4), 49.83, 51.30, 51.45 (14) (a), 55.22 (3), 146.82, 252.11 (7), 253.07 (3) (c), and 938.78 (2) (a), a subunit of a county department of social services or tribal agency acting under this section may exchange confidential information about a client, without the informed consent of the client, with any other subunit of the same county department of social services or tribal agency, with a resource center, a care management organization, or a long-term care district, with an elder-adult-at-risk agency, an adult-at-risk agency, or any agency to which referral for investigation is made under s. 46.90 (5) (a) 1. or 55.043 (1r) (a) 1g., or with a person providing services to the client under a purchase of services contract with the county department of social services or tribal agency or with a resource center, a care management organization, or a long-term care district, if necessary to enable an employee or service provider to perform his or her duties, or to enable the county department of social services or tribal agency to coordinate the delivery of services to the client. An agency that releases information under this subsection shall document that a request for information was received and what information was provided.

46.215(1p) (1p) Exchange of information; statewide automated child welfare information system. Notwithstanding ss. 46.2895 (9), 48.396 (1) and (2) (a), 48.78 (2) (a), 48.981 (7), 49.45 (4), 49.83, 51.30, 51.45 (14) (a), 55.22 (3), 146.82, 252.11 (7), 252.15, 253.07 (3) (c), 938.396 (1) (a) and (2), and 938.78 (2) (a), a county department under this section may enter the content of any record kept or information received by that county department into the statewide automated child welfare information system established under s. 48.47 (7g).

46.215(2) (2) Purchase of care and services.

46.215(2)(a) (a)

46.215(2)(a)1. 1. In order to ensure the availability of a full range of care and services, the county department of social services may contract, either directly or through the department of health services, with public or voluntary agencies or others to purchase, in full or in part, care and services, except as provided under subch. III of ch. 49 and s. 301.08 (2) and except for community-based juvenile delinquency-related services, that the county department of social services is authorized by any statute to furnish in any manner. That care and those services may be purchased from the department of health services if the department of health services has staff to furnish that care and those services. If the county department of social services has adequate staff, it may sell that care and those services directly to another county or state agency.

46.215(2)(a)2. 2. In order to ensure the availability of a full range of care and services, the county department of social services may contract, either directly or through the department of children and families, with public or voluntary agencies, or others to purchase, in full or in part, care and services under ch. 48 and subch. III of ch. 49 and community-based juvenile delinquency-related services that the county department of social services is authorized to furnish. That care and those services may be purchased from the department of children and families if the department of children and families has staff to furnish that care and those services. If the county department of social services has adequate staff, it may sell that care and those services directly to another county or state agency.

46.215(2)(a)3. 3. In order to ensure the availability of a full range of care and services, the county department of social services may contract, either directly or through the department of corrections, with public or voluntary agencies or others to purchase, in full or in part, juvenile delinquency-related care and services which the county department of social services is authorized by any statute to furnish in any manner. Such services may be purchased from the department of corrections if the department of corrections has staff to furnish the services. If the county department of social services has adequate staff, it may sell the care and services directly to another county or state agency.

46.215(2)(b) (b) A county department of social services may purchase development and training services from the department of health services, from the department of children and families, from the department of corrections or from other county agencies when the services are available. A county department of social services may sell the development and staff training services to another county or state agency if the county department has adequate staff to provide the services.

46.215(2)(c) (c)

46.215(2)(c)1. 1. A county department of social services shall develop, under the requirements of s. 46.036, plans and contracts for the purchase of care and services, except for care and services under subch. III of ch. 49 or s. 301.08 (2) and community-based juvenile delinquency-related services. The department of health services may review the contracts and approve them if they are consistent with s. 46.036 and if state or federal funds are available for those purposes. The joint committee on finance may require the department of health services to submit the contracts to the committee for review and approval. The department of health services may not make any payments to a county for programs included in a contract under review by the committee. The department of health services shall reimburse each county for the contracts from the appropriations under s. 20.435 (7) (b) and (o), as appropriate, under s. 46.495.

46.215(2)(c)2. 2. A county department of social services shall develop, under the requirements of s. 49.34, plans and contracts for the purchase of care and services under ch. 48 and subch. III of ch. 49 and of community-based juvenile delinquency-related services. The department of children and families may review the contracts and approve them if they are consistent with s. 49.34 and if state or federal funds are available for those purposes. The joint committee on finance may require the department of children and families to submit the contracts to the committee for review and approval. The department of children and families may not make any payments to a county for programs included in a contract under review by the committee.

46.215(2)(c)3. 3. A county department of social services shall develop, under the requirements of s. 301.08 (2), plans and contracts for the purchase of juvenile correctional services. The department of corrections may review the contracts and approve them if they are consistent with s. 301.08 (2) and if state or federal funds are available for such purposes. The joint committee on finance may require the department of corrections to submit the contracts to the committee for review and approval. The department of children and families may not make any payments under s. 48.526 to a county for programs included in a contract under review by the committee. The department of children and families shall reimburse each county for the contracts from the appropriations under s. 20.437 (1) (cj), (o), and (q) as appropriate.

46.215(3) (3) Program budgets. The county department of social services shall submit a final budget for authorized services to the department of health services under s. 46.031 (1) and to the department of children and families under s. 49.325 (1).

46.215 History History: 1971 c. 218; 1973 c. 90, 147, 333, 336; 1975 c. 39, 307, 421; 1977 c. 29, 271, 418; 1979 c. 34; 1981 c. 20 ss. 867m to 870, 2202 (20) (j); 1981 c. 81, 329; 1983 a. 27 ss. 1080, 2202 (20); 1983 a. 190 s. 7; 1983 a. 193; 1985 a. 29, 120; 1985 a. 176 ss. 322 to 332; Stats. 1985 s. 46.215; 1987 a. 27; 1987 a. 403 s. 256; 1989 a. 31, 107, 336, 359; 1991 a. 39, 274; 1993 a. 16; 1995 a. 27 ss. 2063 to 2076, 9126 (19), 9130 (4); 1995 a. 64, 77, 201, 225, 289, 352, 404, 417; 1997 a. 3, 27, 35, 252; 1999 a. 9; 2001 a. 16; 2003 a. 33; 2005 a. 25, 264, 388, 406; 2007 a. 20 ss. 848 to 856, 9121 (6) (a); 2007 a. 45, 96; 2009 a. 15, 28, 180, 334; 2011 a. 32; 2013 a. 20; 2015 a. 55; 2019 a. 8, 9; 2023 a. 19.

46.215 Annotation Counties have authority to provide the funding of services under s. 49.51 (3) (c) [now sub. (2) (c)] on their own but are not required to do so when reimbursement is unavailable. 63 Atty. Gen. 584.

46.22 46.22 County social services.

46.22(1) (1) County department of social services.

46.22(1)(a) (a) Creation. Except as provided under s. 46.23 (3) (b), the county board of supervisors of any county with a population of less than 750,000, or the county boards of 2 or more counties, shall establish a county department of social services on a single-county or multicounty basis. The county department of social services shall consist of a county social services board, a county social services director and necessary personnel.

46.22(1)(am) (am) Funding for multicounties. State social services funding under s. 20.435 (7) (b) is not available to counties which establish a multicounty department of social services until the counties have drafted a contractual agreement, approved by the secretary, setting forth the plans for direct sponsorship and have drafted a budget under par. (b) 1. d.

46.22(1)(b) (b) Powers and duties.

46.22(1)(b)1. 1. The county department of social services shall have the following functions, duties and powers in accordance with the rules promulgated by the department of health services and subject to the supervision of the department of health services:

46.22(1)(b)1.a. a. To maintain administrative and reporting relationships with all pertinent state departments.

46.22(1)(b)1.b. b. To make investigations that relate to welfare services, except for welfare services provided under ch. 48 and subch. III of ch. 49, community-based juvenile delinquency-related services, and juvenile correctional services, upon request by the department of health services.

46.22(1)(b)1.c. c. Within the limits of available state and federal funds and of county funds appropriated to match state funds, to provide social services for persons eligible for or receiving supplemental security aids under Title XVI of the social security act, eligible for or receiving state supplemental payments under s. 49.77 or eligible for or receiving aid to families with dependent children under s. 49.19.

46.22(1)(b)1.d. d. To submit a final budget in accordance with s. 46.031 (1) for services authorized in this section, except for the administration of and cost of aid granted under ss. 49.19 and 49.45 to 49.471.

46.22(1)(b)1.g. g. To make certification or referral of eligibles for state or federal assistance programs under subch. V of ch. 49, eligibility for which is based on need.

46.22(1)(b)1.i. i. If the county board of supervisors establishes an initiative to provide coordinated services under s. 59.53 (7), to participate in and administer the initiative, including entering into any written interagency agreements or contracts.

46.22(1)(b)1.j. j. If authorized under s. 46.283 (1) (a) 1., to apply to the department of health services to operate a resource center under s. 46.283 and, if the department contracts with the county under s. 46.283 (2), to operate the resource center.