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TAC, HSRI & Public Policy Forum Release Report on Mental Health Inpatient Capacity in Milwaukee County

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

On September 16, 2014, TAC, Human Services Research Institute (HSRI) and the Milwaukee-based Public Policy Forum released a report exploring the demand for adult psychiatric inpatient beds in Milwaukee County and the capacity that should exist. Both are important considerations in the context of the County's mental health redesign planning efforts which have resulted in several changes to the Milwaukee County mental health system over the past few years, reflecting the move to a more recovery-oriented and community-focused system of care. TAC, HSRI and Public Policy Forum also teamed up on a comprehensive mental health redesign report released in October 2010, which has guided the County's redesign planning.

Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division (BHD) commissioned the report which examines certain aspects of the behavioral health system based on available data (inpatient, outpatient, crisis services, case management, evidence-based practices, etc.), recommends adult psychiatric inpatient bed capacity for Milwaukee County based on current utilization, and suggests considerations for determining future inpatient bed need. While the report does not recommend any reductions to the current adult psychiatric inpatient bed capacity in the immediate future in Milwaukee County,  it does suggest that additional reductions in bed capacity should be possible over the long term, dependent on the ability of public and private stakeholders to better coordinate service delivery and expand community-based services that decrease the need for hospitalization.

View the Full Report