Kenosha County developed the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Resource Center in response to the need in our community to have a clear, identifiable place to go to obtain mental health, alcohol, and other drug abuse information and services. The Mental Health and Substance Abuse Resource Center is adapted from a model of services the State of Wisconsin created, piloted and expanded. This model has become a national model for providing information and assistance.
Our goal is to take the complexities of large governmental systems and make them easier to attain and understand. We help people through complex processes to facilitate access to services and information they need to fully participate in their recovery.
Help is available. Crisis services are available 24 hours a day and the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Resource Center is open during general business hours. Everyone is welcome to call or come in during office hours and use the Resource Center services as often as they need information or assistance. No appointment is necessary.
Options Counseling
Our goal is to provide people seeking information and assistance for their mental health or substance abuse issues with accurate information on community resources to meet their needs. We strive to go beyond handing out a phone number to actually help people to get connected to services.
Information and Assistance
Staff are available in the resource center to help individuals by:
- Answering calls and meeting with people.
- Listening carefully to the circumstances, which contribute to people’s needs.
- Identifying areas where community agencies and information may help with their concerns.
- Offering information on community resources, rights, and options for long and short term support
- Assisting individuals in developing their own plan of action and obtain information for future use.
- Being available to follow up with people when there is a concern or if there is a need for further explanation of services and information.
- Working out problems that may occur.
- Provide assistance in applying for disability benefits for adults with a mental illness
- Serve as Representative payee for adults receiving SSI or SSDI
- Provide training and assistance to volunteer guardians
- Investigation of complaints of consumers regarding services provided by our agency
All these activities may lead to helping someone to apply for services available through Kenosha County’s Division of Aging and Disability Services. These county funded services include:
- Seeing a psychiatrist and receiving psychiatric medications (Psychiatric Medications and Management Program)
- Going to counseling
- Mental health recovery oriented services (Comprehensive Community Services)
- Mental health education and management services (Community Support Program)
- Addictions specialist services
All help from the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Resource Center is provided free of charge. For more information call 262-764-8555 and ask for the Resource Center.
