The heads of Wisconsin’s state agencies hope increased collaboration will make it easier for residents to access mental health support.
The Governor’s Interagency Council on Mental Health on May 5 released a new
, identifying both current efforts to improve state programs as well as future goals around increasing access to support.
The council was created by Gov. Tony Evers in 2024 and includes the heads of 10 state departments including Health Services, Workforce Development and Veterans Affairs.
HS Secretary Kirsten Johnson acknowledged that a new Wisconsin governor will soon be steering the agencies involved.
“There are many conversations about how do we sustain this work,” Johnson said. “I believe that … all of our gubernatorial candidates do care about people and would value this work. So we’re trying to make sure that this is being elevated and is available to everyone who is running.”
One of the immediate goals of the action plan is to create a more streamlined way for Wisconsinites to access existing resources across state agencies.
“If you were to come to a Wisconsin state website looking for resources for yourself or for a loved one, you will be directed and able to find the resources you need more easily,” Johnson said, calling it a “front door model.”
She said that work is already underway thanks to the federal Rural Health Transformation Program, which
to Wisconsin at the end of last year.
The council’s statewide action plan also calls for increased focus on programs that promote well-being and prevent adverse mental health outcomes. That includes investing in programs for state employees, especially in higher-risk roles such as state prison workers or others working in service roles.
The plan suggests the state government set standards “as a model to follow for other employers and across the nation.”
Johnson said the council recognized early on that state government is a large employer and changes to the supports it offers its own employees could have an immediate impact.
“As we brought together the recommendations, it became much more broad, and we recognized that there is absolutely a role for employers to support their employees’ mental health,” she said.
As Wisconsin continues to struggle with a shortage of health care providers, the council also recommended exploring other types of support that could expand access. Referring to them as “workforce extenders,” the plan calls for supporting services including peer recovery centers and expanding Medicaid reimbursement to community health workers.
Wisconsin Public Radio can be heard locally on 91.3 KUWS-FM and at wpr.org.
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