The Wisconsin Department of Health Services announced Wednesday that four organizations will be receiving funding to help reduce disparities in the behavioral health care system.
The efforts towards health equity and access will aim to address barriers that many marginalized communities face. The four grants will go to the Dane County Department of Human Services in Madison, Employment Resources in Madison, N.E.W. Community Clinic in Green Bay, and Wisconsin Community Services in Milwaukee. Each organization has received $85,762 in one-time grants as part of an ongoing effort by DHS to improve health equity and access.
“With these grants, we are working towards improved health outcomes,” said DHS Secretary-designee Kirsten Johnson in a DHS release. “We need to meet people where they are with respect, dignity, and understanding of cultural differences to meaningfully address the gaps in services. We know when people have access to a system that respects the whole person and addresses an individual’s needs, beliefs, and preferences, they are empowered to create healthier outcomes for themselves and their communities.”
The funding in Madison and Milwaukee will facilitate forums to identify what barriers people may be facing while also helping staff better serve those communities, according to a press release from DHS. The funding in Green Bay will also go towards training series for clinic staff to support underserved communities. All projects must be completed by the end of March 2024.
Gov. Evers has declared 2023 the Year of Mental Health, and with these four grants, DHS has invested more than $1.3 million across projects managed by 14 organizations to make Wisconsin’s behavioral health care system more inclusive. Money to fund these projects is money allocated to Wisconsin federally as a response to COVID-19’s effect on behavioral health service needs.
