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Milwaukee County Outpatient Behavioral Health Capacity Assessment

October 2015

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The Milwaukee County Outpatient Capacity Analysis (OCA) is the third report issued jointly by the Human Services Research Institute (HSRI), the Technical Assistance Collaborative (TAC), and the Public Policy Forum (PPF) related to the ongoing initiative by public and private sector stakeholders to redesign the mental health care delivery system in Milwaukee County. The first report analyzed system strengths and weaknesses and offered recommendations to improve system performance, and the second focused on adult inpatient bed capacity. In this report, we focus on behavioral health services that are provided outside of inpatient settings. The OCA was commissioned by the Milwaukee Health Care Partnership and was funded by a diverse array of organizations, including the Partnership, local health care and managed care entities, the State of Wisconsin, and local foundations.

The types of outpatient services inventoried in this report are clinical services and programs that are considered essential for a comprehensive system of care, especially for low-income populations. Additionally, these services are assumed to be related to demand for inpatient care. When available as part of a community-based behavioral health system, they may effectively function as an alternative to inpatient and emergency treatment.