Committee Update

This week, the Assembly Committee on Mental Health met to hear testimony on an important topic: emergency detentions. Currently, under Chapter 51 of state statutes, law enforcement may take an individual into custody if he or she is determined to be a threat to him/herself or others. Often, these individuals are subsequently admitted for intensive mental health treatment. 

Our community, like many across the state, encounter significant challenges when these detentions are made, because there is a lack of mental health resources statewide. These individuals are frequently transferred to Mendota Mental Health Institute in Madison or Winnebago Mental Health Institute in Oshkosh in order to get appropriate services. The originating law enforcement agency must transport the individual to these facilities, which often takes important resources (personnel or financial) away from the community. 

Assembly Bill 633, which was heard in committee, makes several modifications to emergency detention transport. The changes include allowing a third party contractor to transport the individual and allowing transports to be billed to Medicaid if the individual is a Medicaid recipient. While there is more reforms to be made, this is a step in the right direction. I look forward to supporting it in committee next week. 

• This weekend is the Central Wisconsin Christmas Expo! Hosted at the Central Wisconsin Convention and Expo Center in the Ballroom, there will be a wide variety of handcrafted items for purchase. Additionally, food vendors, concessions, live holiday music and pictures with Santa will be there! Join Saturday between 10am-4pm and Sunday between 9am-2pm. Admission is free.
• Middle Grounds, Inc. is hosting Community Cookie Decorating. Open from 1-3pm on December 14th, families can decorate cookies and take them home for a snack. The event is free. 
• On Sunday, December 15th, Cruisin 1724 is hosting cut out cookie decorating beginning at noon. Cookies, frosting and sprinkles will be provided, courtesy of UBAKE of Rib Mountain, and all cookies will be given to local nursing homes.  

This week, the Speaker's Task Force on Adoption released several amendments to the legislation that was introduced earlier this year by Task Force members. During the public hearing, we heard several suggestions for how to improve the recommendations of the Task Force. As amended, the legislation does the following: 

• AB 559 removes the right to a jury trial in TPR cases (we are one of few states that have this option, and federal standards actually suggest against this option); it creates grounds for child in need of protection or services (CHIPS) and termination of parental rights (TPR) based on continued parental drug use; and it creates grounds for TPR based on parental incarceration. It also modifies slightly existing grounds for TPR and permanency plan reviews. 
• AB 560 creates a ground for TPR based on the child being placed out of his or her home on a CHIPS order for 15 out of the past 22 months. This is based on a federal standard. 
• AB 561 creates a process for voluntary post-adoption contact agreements between the biological family and adoptive family. 
• AB 562 gives foster parents a stronger right to be heard in change-in-placement proceedings for a child that has been in their care for 6 months or more. 
• AB 563 requires that child welfare agencies disclose certain information to foster parents when a child is placed in their care. This mostly codifies current practice, while ensuring these disclosures are happening statewide. 
• AB 564 expands eligibility for adoption assistance for certain special needs children. 
• AB 565 ensures that the court consider the best interest of the child when selecting an out of home placement or transferring placement. It also gives foster parents preference when a court is considering a transfer in placement or placement for adoption, if the child has been in their care for 9 months or longer. 
• AB 566 allows TPR to be a motion within an existing CHIPS case (rather than current practice of having two separate cases), streamlining these court proceedings. 

2019-2020 Blue Books have arrived! The Wisconsin Blue Book contains information on all things Wisconsin: your elected officials; census information; the official state dog, tree, flower, etc.; government processes; and so much more! If you would like a complementary blue book, contact me for your free copy today!