SW 644: Issues in Developmental Disabilities The Wisconsin Children’s Long-Term Support Service System: Where We’ve Been, Where We Are, and Where We’re Going Lecture Presenters: Beth Wroblewski, DHS DTLC Deputy Administrator & Sally Mather, MSSW Department of Health Services, Bureau of Long-Term Support Children’s Section

Children’s Long-Term Supports  Where we’ve been System focused on adults Institutional settings Colonies Centers Role of Parents

Educational Services  Right to an education for children with disabilities  Segregated, self-contained classrooms  Legislative Changes Free and Appropriate Education

Evolution of WI Children’s Long- Term Support (CLTS) Programs  Family Support Program Provides goods and services to keep children in their homes Grant funded – Board for People with Developmental Disabilities County expansion Statewide

Evolution of WI CLTS Programs  Katie Beckett Program Parent initiative  Tax Equity and Fairness Reform Act Access to Medicaid Wisconsin Forward card Voluntary Benefits  Children and families  Taxpayer

Evolution of WI CLTS Programs  Katie Beckett Program Partnership  Public – Private  System – Family Programmatic structure based on partnership  Value parents as the experts

Families’ Experience  Historically Disability as a medical condition Disconnection of families Messaging still occurs  Evolution of CLTS system

Normalization & Social Justice  Wolf Wolfensberger  Community inclusion as a civic issue  Values-based training

Evolution of CLTS continued…  Shift in systematic foundational values “light touch” v. comprehensive plans  Home and Community Based Service (HCBS) waivers  Issue for families: some supports available only in out-of-home placements  Redesign of adult support system

Issues Surrounding Access  Fragmentation  Coordination  Issues when families are involved with multiple systems

Choice in services  Menu: Fitting child to the available programs and service options v. child and family-centered planning  Outcome-based language

Quality  Who determines quality?  Are needs being met?  Are family-based outcomes being achieved?

Funding  Evolution of system + State and Federal regulations = Silos of funding  Compass Wisconsin Blending sources of funding More seamless for families

Concepts of Compass Wisconsin  Children and families as the North Star  Partnering with families in navigation Example re utilization of Family Support Program Trust  Access – Compass Wisconsin Threshold

Concepts of Compass Wisconsin (continued…)  Waiting list reduction  Relational v. “Transactional”

Wisconsin compared to other States  Best-practice & value-based  Commitment to children and their families  Waiting lists  Paternalistic language/values and practice reflected  Learning opportunities

Conclusion  Continued Professional Development  Systematic Challenges Caseload Training Learning conversation opportunities  Shift of shared responsibility to entitlement See Transcript for Biographical Information