Community Support Program

What We Do Honors
Admission Information Our Staff
Service Information Mission Statement
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The Community Support Program (CSP) is a state-mandated long-term support program that provides effective and easily accessible treatment, rehabilitation, and support services to persons with severe and persistent mental illness within the communities where they live and work. The goal of CSP is to provide a comprehensive level of services to persons with severe and persistent mental illness in order to prevent or minimize psychiatric hospitalizations and other institutional placements and to improve each individual's quality of life (as defined by each individual).




Admission to the CSP is open to those persons who have a severe and persistent mental illness (primarily Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, and Major Depression) who exhibit persistent disability or significant impairment in the areas of self-care, vocational, social or community functioning, and who are at risk for either continuing to live in a severely dysfunctional way or of being institutionalized if a higher level of services were not provided.




The services offered by the Community Support Program are delivered utilizing a team approach and include medication prescription, administration, monitoring, and documentation, symptom management and supportive psychotherapy, family, individual, and/or group therapy ("treatment"); employment-related services, social and recreational skill training, and activities of daily living services ("rehabilitation"); and individualized support, problem solving, training and supervision to help the individual access needed health, financial, housing, transportation, and legal services ("support services"). Individualized services are provided and delivered through an identified treatment plan developed in consultation with the client, the treatment team, and any other relevant persons as identified by the client.




As of December 1, 1990, the State Department of Health and Social Services certified the Community Support Program as being in compliance with the state provider standards. This certification allows the CSP to bill Medical Assistance for services delivered. In 1992 the Richland County CSP was designated as a "best practice site" following completion of Continuous Treatment Team Training through the State Bureau of Community Mental Health. We have continued to maintain state certification through reviews by the State on a biennial basis.




The CSP team works together to provide high quality services to clients. The highly competent team consists of Windy Goodman, CSP Nurse, John Pyle, Licensed Clinical Social Worker/Coordinator Designee, Jacquie Brunslik, CSP Professional/Team Leader, Linda King, Masters Degree Clinician/CSP Professional, Clemens Schmidt, Medical Director/CSP Psychiatrist, and Tracy Thorsen, Licensed Clinical Social Worker/Clinical Services Coordinator.




The Richland County Community Support Program provides easily accessible and affordable treatment, rehabilitation, and support services to county residents with a severe and persistent mental illness. We provide creative, community-based services to promote community living, minimize institutional placements, and enhance the health and quality of clients' lives according to their unique needs and circumstances.


In providing Community Support Program services, we adhere to the following guiding principles:

  • We are respectful of the individuality and dignity of clients and their right to self-determination. We recognize that a person with a mental illness is first and foremost a person. Recovery is not only desirable, but achievable.

  • We offer strength-based assessment and services responsive to clients' diverse and changing needs within a holistic framework of mind, body, and spirit.

  • We promote independence through teaching and enhancing skills, fostering self-esteem and self-efficacy, and encouraging active participation in treatment.

  • We work with the community and families to promote advocacy for client-chosen goals, a positive support system, and a status that is stigma-free.

  • We provide high quality, timely services that adhere to the standards set forth by the state and current research in the field.




    National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI)


    TO CONTACT US:
    Tracy Thorsen, LCSW
    608-647-6384 or thorsent@co.richland.wi.us


    This web site is currently under development. Your comments and suggestions are very welcome. Please email them to the site's Webmaster, or call 608-647-8821 extension 249.

    Richland County Health and Human Services
    Community Services Building - 221 West Seminary Street Richland Center, WI 53581
    Phone: 608-647-8821 FAX: 608-647-6611

    Richland County Health and Human Services strives to make these pages universally acceptable. Suggestions for increasing the accessibility of this site are welcome.