Medicaid Managed Care - U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging

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Another positive outcome of the prosru bahs been the dramatic decrease in inpatient psychiatric care for
these children. A recent report shows a 44.5 % decrease in Milwarkee Comnty s child and adolescent
psychiatric inpatient hospital stays. According to Kamradt, Tbat s the senSlE of wraparound arices such
as the Mobile Urgent Crisis Tcam, which provides crisis inservention services to children and families and
intervenes in sniations where the childrea might otherwise be removed from their homes and hospisalized.
Our Mobile Urgent Crisis Team now reviews all prospective Inpatient hospital admissions of children and
adolescents at Milwaukee County's child and adolescent teatment center."
Wraparound Milwaukee uses the same wraparound approach used by the Children Comne First of Dane
County program. featured in the February 1997, issue of Forwad. Both programs have been sucessful
serving childrcn with severe emotional and behavioral mental health problems.
One obvious diffcrnce: betwen the two programs is that Wraparound Milwaukee seoves Milwankee
County residents, whereas Childron Come First of Dane County smrves Dane County residents. Anorher
significant difference between the programs is that Wraparound bMilwaukee is rua directly by Milwaukee
County, whereas Dane County contacts with a nonprofit oanization. Corimmunity <strong>Care</strong> Management, to
administer pars of its proram. (Community <strong>Care</strong> Management also provides some adiinistrative support,
including Management Information System services, to Wraparound Milwaukee.)
Project Director Kamradt says he is encouraged by the success of Wraparound Milwaukee and hopes co
increase enrollment so more children may be served through the program. "Cur strategy is to reinvest the
dollars saved by using less instiintional care into increasing Wraparound Milwaukee's capacity to Serve
more children,' he says.
Anyone interested in learning more about Wraparound Milwaukee may contatv the Wraparound
Milw-aukee Project office at (414) 257-7586 for more infornation.