Milwaukee organization receives $86K grant to address behavioral health care disparities

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Milwaukee-based organization Wisconsin Community Services is among the recipients of grants awarded by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to reduce disparities in the behavioral health care system.

The organization will utilize the grant of $85,762 to conduct four open forums aimed at pinpointing and addressing the obstacles faced by Milwaukee residents seeking support.

A DHS press release issued on Wednesday, July 5 quoted DHS Secretary-designee Kirsten Johnson saying, "We need to meet people where they are with respect, dignity and understanding of cultural differences to meaningfully address the gaps in services."

Also receiving equal grants were Dane County Department of Human Services in Madison, Employment Resources in Madison, and N.E.W. Community Clinic in Green Bay. DHS says that these organizations were each awarded their grants to improve services for various communities.

Dane County Department of Human Services will focus on serving youth who identify as LGBTQ+, Black, Indigenous and people of color. Employment Resources will host five open forums to discuss support for African American, Native American, Hispanic/Latinx, Hmong, LGBTQ+, non-English speakers and the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing populations. N.E.W. Community Clinic aims to launch a training series for its staff to better serve Black, Indigenous, and people of color, as well as those experiencing homelessness.

The grants aim to continue the mission of Gov. Evers having declared 2023 as the Year of Mental Health.