Mental Health Briefings for Providers Build Knowledge and Clarity of System and Changes
Newly expanded Behavioral Health Provider Briefings, hosted by the Milwaukee Health Care Partnership (MHCP), have created a strategic network of information sharing and connection for Milwaukee’s mental and behavioral health provider leaders.
In recent years, the mental and behavioral health care delivery system in Milwaukee County has gone through significant changes. These changes – as well as the fragmentation of programs and services within and across mental health providers, regulatory requirements, and workforce shortages affecting availability – have led to a lack of understanding of the mental health delivery system and how to best navigate patients to services.
The provider community, including the Milwaukee Health Care Partnership (MHCP) Behavioral Health Provider Steering Committee, has called for clarity and improved awareness of public and private mental health services to better connect patients and clients to critical services.
“Milwaukee is a resource-rich city, but the mental and behavioral health system is complicated, even for those of us who work in it,” said Jessica Small, President, Aurora Psychiatric Hospital & WI BH Operations and Behavioral Health Executive Committee Chair, MHCP. “These briefings have provided greater clarity about the purpose and scope of new and existing services, allowed us to elevate questions we have across organizations, and built an infrastructure for connection and collaboration. Ultimately, we are able to better serve our patients, which is the core purpose of this work.”
MHCP Behavioral Health Provider briefings are held monthly for three quarters of the year and offer important information on public and private mental health programs and services in Milwaukee, including crisis intervention, outpatient counseling, medication assistance, inpatient, day treatment, and other services for adults and children. The topics reflect timely and emerging issues, as well as requested information from Milwaukee mental and behavioral health providers. The goal of the briefing series is to raise awareness of public and private mental health programs and services among provider organizations, enhance connections to care, and foster collaborative efforts.
2024/2025 Briefings held to date include:
- START (Systemic, Therapeutic, Assessment, Resources, and Treatment) Initiative
- Wraparound Milwaukee Transition Update
- Wellpoint Care Network’s Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic
- School-Based Mental Health Services Panel
- Behavioral Health Services Access Clinics
- Children’s WI Intakepalooza
- Community Health Needs Assessment Findings: Mental and Behavioral Health Findings
- FQHCs Updates on New or Expanded Behavioral Health Services Panel
- Suicide Prevention Models and Current Initiatives Panel
- Perinatal Behavioral Health Services
More than 150 mental and behavioral health provider leaders from over 20 organizations have attended the briefings.
For additional information on the briefing series for 2025, contact MHCP Director of Access, Kate Graham; kgraham@mkehcp.org.