Wisconsin Mental Health Laws
February 26-27, 2025, 8:30 - 11:30am CST
Virtual via Zoom
Fee: $35 members; $70 partial members; $99 nonmembers
Continuing Education Hours: 6.0
Note: Course eligible for full member fee discount.
Course Description
Full members who register for this course along with Crisis Services Overview and Suicide and Risk Management at the same time will receive a discounted registration fee. To receive the discount when you are registering, select one session for each of the three courses under "Register."
This six-hour course uses discussion and small group exercises along with lecture to help you understand the laws and standards related to crisis work as identified in DHS 34. Mental Health Laws (Chapter 51) will be presented and the crisis worker will be prepared for the fact that not all of their cases are going to fit neatly into the Chapter 51 framework. You'll be exposed to the other laws that may be involved in crisis response, such as Chapters 48, 938, 54, 55. Scenarios will be used to illustrate how to navigate between systems.
Learning Objectives:
- Develop a basic understanding of Wisconsin Mental Health Law (Chapter 51)
- Develop a basic understanding of related statutes (Chapters 48, 938, 54, 55)
- Understand the criteria and process for doing an emergency detention (51.15)
- Understand the criteria and process for doing a protective placement for alcohol (51.45)
- Become familiar with client rights and confidentiality
- Explore the balance between the need to protect client rights and community safety
- Explore the issues related to dealing with populations that don’t fit neatly into a single statutory category
- Practice decision‐making based upon case examples of various populations in crisis
About the Trainer
Liz Bartz, MS
Elizabeth (Liz) Bartz, MS (she/her/hers) holds a Master of Science degree in Community Mental Health Counseling, with an emphasis on children with emotional and behavioral disturbances and their families, as well as a substance use disorders specialty to compliment the counseling major. Liz has a diverse array of experience serving folks as a human service professional in various roles and through teaching in higher education.Her professional experience began at a domestic abuse and sexual assault support center; moving on to working with youth in a residential treatment facility; and to county-based case management for children receiving services through the autism waiver program and the state children’s waiver for a county community programs department. Liz then transitioned to a role within community mental health services, providing crisis intervention services (on call crisis, mobile crisis, court monitoring court ordered civil commitments), completing initial assessments, functional screens and referrals to mental health and substance use treatment, case management and waiver programs, certifying and renewing adult family homes, and serving on the safety committee, organizing and providing training opportunities within the agency and the community.
While continuing to work within the county system, Liz also began teaching general studies psychology courses part-time at local community colleges. In the fall of 2017, Liz began working with UW-Green Bay’s Behavioral Health Training Partnership, primarily training the three Crisis Core trainings and facilitating special skills and topics trainings.
Liz is passionate about serving you by sharing knowledge and her professional experience; while learning from each of you and facilitating a human services professional network of peers.