The Wisconsin Counties Association sponsored a Human Services Lobbying Day in Madison on March 4.  Five La Crosse staff and board members attended this day and were able to talk not only to our legislators about specific legislation, but also to talk with others from around the state who work in human services.   Because of the weak economy, all states are experiencing difficulty in maintaining services.  In Wisconsin, human services is suffering more than some other aspects of county government. 

As the economy worsens, demand for services goes up.  We are seeing people seeking economic support who have never had to ask for anything before.  As an example, we have an emergency fund for W2, our welfare-to-work program.  We were allotted an amount of money from the state for the calendar years of 2010 and 2011.  All of those funds have now been used up, only two months into the first year of the two-year allotment. The need is overwhelming.

There will be no easy answers to this difficult situation, and there will be some painful results because of the economy.  In La Crosse County, we are working hard on collaborating with other levels of government in an effort to increase efficiency and outcomes, while saving money and helping our county to thrive. 

While I was in Madison lobbying for human services, two other board members and I dropped in to see Lieutenant Governor Barbara Lawton.  In our conversation, she mentioned that collaboration between the different levels of government is one of the key answers to improving life in our state.  When we told her about our collaboration efforts in La Crosse County, she was very impressed.  Everything that she suggested we look at was already on our list. 

That is a message we get whenever we go to county meetings across the state: La Crosse County is on the cutting edge in government.  We have innovative ideas and the courage to take risks in implementing them.  When a question comes up about how to do something, the answer is often “ask La Crosse what they are doing about it.”  We love to hear that, as it gives us impetus to pursue more ideas and plans.  Stay tuned for more great ideas from La Crosse County!

Sharon Hampson

Chair Health & Human Services Board

La Crosse County continues to pursue Collaboration and Innovation with other organizations to solve problems and save money.  Major progress in the past few year include:

Mississippi Valley Health Services Commission This first ever multi-county collaboration provides a legal framework for 10 other Wisconsin Counties to contribute to the cost of serving residents from their County who reside at Lakeview Health Center.  This innovation saves over $800,000 per year to La Crosse County taxpayers. 

Sustainable La Crosse Commission   Following adoption of the first in Wisconsin City-County sustainability plan, this commission has formed including the Mayor of Onalaska and is pursuing a work of plan of conservation and

Emergency Medical Services Commission   The County Board established this commission, so that elected officials representing all municipalities serve to guide decisions in the provision of EMS.  The first several meetings have been held to identify issues and concerns, moving toward an updated EMS contract without requiring a taxpayer subsidy.  

Crisis Assessment Center  The Human Services Department has led a community-wide effort including Law Enforcement, both medical institutions and the community to provide a better approach to the need for intervention in cases of chemical abuse and mental health crisis.  A provider (Tellurian) has been selected and services are expected to begin in April.

La Crosse Area Diversity Council  At the urging of the Board Chair and several supervisors, the County is one of the lead area employers to form an area Diversity Council that has begun to offer a cooperative training & recruitment approach to making our community more inclusive.  

Long-Term office space lease with State Probation & Parole in LEC addition  The County approved a 10 year lease with State Probation & Parole to improve services to citizens in our criminal justice system. 

Criminal Justice System Innovations  The County opened the Women’s Community Based Facility, invited the National Commission on Correctional Health Care(NCCHC) to conduct a review of Jail medical services,  has increased Physician and Mental Health hours and has been selected by the National Urban League toward enhancing successful Transition from Jail to Community.  And 2010 will see completion of the LEC addition which incorporates “direct supervision” of inmates. 

City-County- School Collaboration and Conference ’09: Challenging Trends & Solutions  The County identified challenging property tax trends in La Crosse and presented possible solutions: cutting municipal services, revenue sharing & Universal Place-Based Scholarship programs.  Many attendees indicated this was “the most informative Collaboration conference ever”.

Thank you, Steve Doyle and Steve O'Malley