Wisconsin Resources

State Mental Health and Substance Abuse Agency
For more information about admission, care, treatment, release, and patient follow-up in public or private psychiatric residential facilities, contact your State mental health agency:

Joyce Allen, Director
Bureau of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
Department of Health and Family Services
1 West Wilson Street, Room 434
Madison , WI 53702-7851
Phone: 608-267-7792
Fax: 608-266-1533
Internet: www.dhfs.wisconsin.gov/MH_BCMH/

Spanish language assistance available

State Protection and Advocacy Agency
Each State has a protection and advocacy agency that receives funding from the Federal Center for Mental Health Services. Agencies are mandated to protect and advocate for the rights of people with mental illnesses and to investigate reports of abuse and neglect in facilities that care for or treat individuals with mental illnesses. These facilities, which may be public or private, include hospitals, nursing homes, community facilities, board and care homes, homeless shelters, jails, and prisons. Agencies provide advocacy services or conduct investigations to address issues that arise during transportation or admission to such facilities, during residency in them, or within 90 days after discharge from them. Contact:

Wisconsin Coalition for Advocacy, Inc.
16 North Carroll Street, Suite 400
Madison, WI 53703
Phone: 608-267-0214 (TDD)
Fax: 608-267-0368
Toll-free: 800-928-8778 (Statewide)
Internet: www.w-c-a.org

Spanish language assistance available

Family Support
The Center for Mental Health Services awards grants to statewide, family-run networks to provide support and information to families of children and adolescents with serious emotional, behavioral, or mental disorders. For more information, contact:

Maggie Mezera, Executive Director
Wisconsin Family Ties
16 North Carroll Street, Suite 640
Madison, WI 53703
Phone: 608-267-6888
Fax: 608-267-6801
Toll-free: 800-422-7145 (Statewide)
E-mail: info@wifamilyties.org
Internet: www.wifamilyties.org

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Advocacy Organizations
The National Mental Health Association maintains a referral and information center and can help you locate local chapters. These local groups have information about community services and engage in national and State level advocacy. For more information about the association, write or call:

National Mental Health Association Information Center
2001 N. Beauregard Street - 12th Floor
Alexandria, VA 22311
Phone: 703-684-7722
Fax: 703-684-5968
Toll-free: 800-969-6642
(TDD) 800-433-5959
E-mail: infoctr@nmha.org
Internet: www.nmha.org

The National Alliance on Mental Illness maintains a helpline for information on mental illnesses and referrals to local groups. The local self-help groups have support and advocacy components and offer education and information about community services for families and individuals. For information about the Alliance's affiliates and activities in your State, contact:

NAMI Wisconsin
4233 West Beltline Highway
Madison, WI 53711
Phone: 608-268-6000
Fax: 608-268-6004
Toll-free: 800-236-2988 (Statewide)
E-mail: amiwisc@aol.com
Internet: http://www.namiwisconsin.org

The National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse, funded partly by the Center for Mental Health Services, promotes and helps to develop consumer-run self-help groups across the country. Technical assistance and materials are available on such topics as organizing groups, fundraising, leadership development, incorporating, public relations, advocacy, and networking. For more information, contact:

The National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse
1211 Chestnut Street, Suite 1207
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone: 215-751-1810
Fax: 215-636-6312
Toll-free: 800-553-4KEY (539)
E-mail: info@mhselfhelp.org
Internet: http://www.mhselfhelp.org

The National Empowerment Center is a Technical Assistance Center run by mental health consumers/survivors. The Center's mission is to carry a message of recovery, empowerment, hope and healing to people who have been diagnosed with mental illness. The Center provides information and referrals to consumer/survivor resources nationwide and offers technical assistance to individuals and groups involved in consumer empowerment activities. The Center distributes recovery-related publications and sponsors education and training activities. For information on consumer/survivor activities in your area, contact:

The National Empowerment Center
599 Canal Street
Lawrence, MA 01840
Toll-free: 800-769-3728
Fax: 978-681-6426
(TDD) 800-TTY-POWER (7693)
E-mail: info4@power2u.org
Internet: http://www.power2u.org

The Consumer Organization & Networking Technical Assistance Center (CONTAC), funded by the Center for Mental Health Services, is a resource center for consumers/survivors and consumer-run organizations across the United States. Services and products include informational materials; on-site training and skill-building curricula; electronic and other communication capabilities; networking and customized activities promoting self-help, recovery, leadership, business management, and empowerment. For more information contact:

Consumer Organization & Networking Technical Assistance Center (CONTAC)
P.O. Box 11000
Charleston, WV 25339
Phone: 888-825-TECH (8324)
Fax: 304-345-7303
E-mail: usacontac@contac.org
Internet: www.contac.org