Section DHS 34.11 - Standards(1) GENERAL. A basic emergency service mental health program shall: (a) Provide immediate evaluation and mental health care to persons experiencing a mental health crisis.(b) Make emergency services available within the county's mental health outpatient programs, mental health inpatient program or mental health day treatment program and shared with the other 2 programs.(c) Be organized with assigned responsibility, staff and resources so that it is a clearly identifiable program.(2) PERSONNEL. (a) Only psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and other mental health personnel who are qualified under s. DHS 34.21 (3) (b) 1. to 15. may be assigned to emergency duty. Staff qualified under s. DHS 34.21 (3) (b) 16. to 19. may be included as part of a mobile crisis team if another team member is qualified under s. DHS 34.21 (3) (b) 1. to 15.(b) Telephone emergency service may be provided by volunteers after they are carefully selected for aptitude and after a period of orientation and with provision for inservice training.(c) A regular staff member of the program shall be available to provide assistance to volunteers at all times.(d) Medical, preferably psychiatric, consultation shall be available to all staff members at all times.(3) PROGRAM OPERATION AND CONTENT. (a) Emergency services shall be available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.(b) A program shall operate a 24-hour crisis telephone service staffed by mental health professionals or paraprofessionals, or by trained mental health volunteers backed up by mental health professionals. The crisis telephone service shall have a published telephone number, and that number shall be widely disseminated to community agencies and the public.(c) A program shall provide face to face contact for crisis intervention. Face to face contact for crisis intervention may be provided as a function of the county's outpatient program during regular hours of outpatient program operation, with an on-call system for face-to-face contact for crisis intervention at all other times. A program shall have the capability of making home visits or seeing patients at other off-headquarter locations, and shall have the resources to carry out on-site interventions when this is clinically desirable. A program may use telehealth in conjunction with in-person services.(d) When appropriate, emergency service staff may transfer clients to other county mental health programs.Wis. Admin. Code Department of Health Services DHS 34.11
Cr. Register, September, 1996, No. 489, eff. 10-1-96; correction in (2) (a) made under s. 13.93(2m) (b) 7, Stats., Register October 2004 No. 586.Amended by, CR 23-053: am. (3) (c) Register September 2023 No. 813, eff. 10/1/2023