LRB-0922/1
GMM&EHS:eev:rs
2015 - 2016 LEGISLATURE
February 17, 2015 - Introduced by
Joint Legislative Council. Referred to
Committee on Corrections.
AB51,1,3
1An Act to create 48.546 and 938.546 of the statutes;
relating to: creating family
2treatment court and juvenile treatment court grant programs in the
3department of children and families and making an appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill is explained in the Notes provided by the Joint Legislative Council in
the bill.
For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
Joint Legislative Council prefatory note: This bill was prepared for the Joint
Legislative Council's Study Committee on Problem-Solving Courts, Alternatives, and
Diversions. The bill creates a family treatment court grant program under the Children's
Code, to be administered by the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and
operating within the court assigned to exercise jurisdiction under the Children's Code.
The bill also creates a similar program under the Juvenile Justice Code, to be
administered by DCF and operating within the court assigned to exercise jurisdiction
under the Juvenile Justice Code (collectively, "juvenile court").
Under the family treatment court grant program, DCF makes grants available to
counties to enable them to establish and operate programs to develop procedures that
screen, assess, and provide new dispositional alternatives for parents whose children
have come under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court due to parental problems related
to mental illness or substance abuse. A county that receives a grant must establish
eligibility criteria for participation in the county's program, provide evidence-based
treatment services to program participants, and integrate all services provided to
program participants by various governmental and non-governmental entities. The bill
also requires counties that receive those grants to submit data to DCF that must be
analyzed annually by DCF. DCF must also, every five years, prepare a comprehensive
report of the program.
Under the juvenile treatment court grant program, DCF similarly makes grants
available to counties to enable them to establish and operate programs to develop
procedures that screen, assess, and provide new dispositional alternatives for juveniles
who have problems related to mental illness or substance abuse. In all other respects the
juvenile treatment court grant program is very similar to the family treatment court
grant program.
Funding for the family treatment court and juvenile treatment court grant
programs is within the limits of available funding from the appropriation that is used to
fund both the family alcohol and other drug abuse pilot program under s. 48.547, stats.,
and the juvenile alcohol and other drug abuse pilot program under s. 938.547, stats. The
appropriation is federally funded for specific, limited-term projects, to be expended as
local assistance for the purposes specified.
AB51,1
1Section
1. 48.546 of the statutes is created to read:
AB51,2,9
248.546 Family treatment court grant program. (1) The department shall
3make grants available to counties to enable them to establish and operate programs
4to develop intake and court procedures that screen, assess, and provide new
5dispositional alternatives for parents whose children have come under the
6jurisdiction of the court due to a parental problem related to mental illness or to
7substance abuse. The programs shall have, as a goal, improving child well-being and
8the welfare of participants' families by meeting the comprehensive needs of
9participants and promoting family reunification wherever possible.
AB51,2,13
10(2) The department shall make the grants for the programs specified in sub.
11(1) within the availability of funding under s. 20.437 (1) (mb). The department shall
12collaborate with the department of health services and the director of state courts in
13establishing the grant program under this section.
AB51,2,15
14(3) A county that operates a program funded under this section shall do all of
15the following:
AB51,3,1
1(a) Establish eligibility criteria for a person's participation in the program.
AB51,3,52
(b) Provide services to program participants that are consistent with
3evidence-based practices in treatment services needed by those participants,
4including substance abuse treatment services, mental health treatment services,
5and intensive case management services.
AB51,3,76
(c) Provide a multidisciplinary screen as described in s. 48.547 (3) for program
7participants.
AB51,3,108
(d) Provide a holistic and trauma-informed approach to the treatment of
9program participants and provide those participants with services that may be
10needed, as determined by the county under the program.
AB51,3,1611
(e) Integrate all services provided to program participants by state and local
12government agencies and other organizations. The county shall require regular
13communication among a participant's treatment providers, other service providers,
14the court and court personnel, and any person designated under the program to
15monitor the participant's compliance with his or her obligations under the program
16and under the court's order.
AB51,3,19
17(4) A county that receives a grant under this section shall create an oversight
18committee to advise the county in developing, implementing, administering, and
19evaluating its program.
AB51,3,23
20(5) A county that receives a grant under this section shall submit data
21requested by the department to the department each quarter. The department may
22request any data regarding a program funded under this section that is necessary
23to evaluate the program and prepare the reports under subs. (6) and (7).
AB51,4,3
1(6) The department shall, annually, analyze the data submitted under sub. (5)
2for the previous year and prepare a progress report that evaluates the effectiveness
3of the program. The department shall make the report available to the public.
AB51,4,6
4(7) The department shall, every 5 years, prepare a comprehensive report that
5analyzes the data submitted under sub. (5) for the previous 5 years, and shall submit
6the report to the legislature under s. 13.172 (2).
AB51,4,12
7(8) Two or more counties may jointly apply for and receive a grant under this
8section. If 2 or more counties submit a joint application, those counties shall include
9with their application a written agreement specifying each county's role in
10developing, administering, and evaluating the joint program. The oversight
11committee established under sub. (4) shall consist of representatives from each
12county operating a joint program.
AB51,4,14
13(9) The department shall assist a county receiving a grant under this section
14in obtaining funding from other sources for its program.
AB51,2
15Section
2
. 938.546 of the statutes is created to read:
AB51,4,24
16938.546 Juvenile treatment court grant program. (1) The department
17of children and families shall make grants available to counties to enable them to
18establish and operate programs to develop intake and court procedures that screen,
19assess, and provide new dispositional alternatives for juveniles who come under the
20jurisdiction of the court and have problems related to mental illness or to substance
21abuse. The programs shall have, as a goal, improving juvenile well-being by meeting
22the comprehensive needs of juveniles, including juveniles' need for care and
23treatment and for accountability and rehabilitation, consistent with the prevention
24of delinquency.
AB51,5,5
1(2) The department of children and families shall make the grants for the
2programs specified in sub. (1) within the availability of funding under s. 20.437 (1)
3(mb). The department of children and families shall collaborate with the
4department, the department of health services, and the director of state courts in
5establishing the grant program under this section.
AB51,5,7
6(3) A county that operates a program funded under this section shall do all of
7the following:
AB51,5,88
(a) Establish eligibility criteria for a juvenile's participation in the program.
AB51,5,129
(b) Provide services to program participants that are consistent with
10evidence-based practices in treatment services needed by those participants,
11including substance abuse treatment services, mental health treatment services,
12and intensive case management services.
AB51,5,1413
(c) Provide a multidisciplinary screen as described in s. 938.547 (3) for program
14participants.
AB51,5,1715
(d) Provide a holistic and trauma-informed approach to the treatment of
16program participants and provide those participants with services that may be
17needed, as determined by the county under the program.
AB51,5,2318
(e) Integrate all services provided to program participants by state and local
19government agencies and other organizations. The county shall require regular
20communication among a participant's treatment providers, other service providers,
21the court and court personnel, and any person designated under the program to
22monitor the participant's compliance with his or her obligations under the program
23and under the court's order.
AB51,6,3
1(4) A county that receives a grant under this section shall create an oversight
2committee to advise the county in developing, implementing, administering, and
3evaluating its program.
AB51,6,8
4(5) A county that receives a grant under this section shall submit data
5requested by the department of children and families to the department of children
6and families each quarter. The department of children and families may request any
7data regarding a program funded under this section that is necessary to evaluate the
8program and prepare the reports under subs. (6) and (7).
AB51,6,12
9(6) The department of children and families shall, annually, analyze the data
10submitted under sub. (5) for the previous year and prepare a progress report that
11evaluates the effectiveness of the grant program. The department of children and
12families shall make the report available to the public.
AB51,6,16
13(7) The department of children and families shall, every 5 years, prepare a
14comprehensive report that analyzes the data submitted under sub. (5) for the
15previous 5 years. The department of children and families shall submit the report
16to the legislature under s. 13.172 (2).
AB51,6,22
17(8) Two or more counties may jointly apply for and receive a grant under this
18section. If 2 or more counties submit a joint application, those counties shall include
19with their application a written agreement specifying each county's role in
20developing, administering, and evaluating the joint program. The oversight
21committee established under sub. (4) shall consist of representatives from each
22county operating a joint program.
AB51,6,24
23(9) The department of children and families shall assist a county receiving a
24grant under this section in obtaining funding from other sources for its program.
