Welcome to the Planning Council

Welcome to the Planning Council for Health and Human Services. Our mission statement is "To advance community health and human services through planning, evaluation, and research."

If you are looking for best practices...
If you need to know which of your programs are producing good outcomes...
If you need help making sense of data...
If you need help in building a coalition and convening stakeholders...

The Planning Council can help you connect the dots. We bring stakeholders together to address community issues and solve problems. We look to see if best practices are being employed. We help service providers learn which programs are producing good outcomes for their clients and which need improvement. We make sense of data and information. In essence, we "connect the dots" when it comes to health and human services. The Planning Council serves primarily counties in Southeastern Wisconsin.

Here are some of our most recent reports, articles, and activities:


	Directory of Anti-Violence Efforts in Milwaukee County Published June 2009 Download or View it HERE .pdf format. A directory of anti-violence efforts was originally created in 2005. Based on demand, the directory was updated in 2006 and has been updated and expanded in 2009 with support from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation's Fitch Research Fund. The directory includes descriptions and contact information for anti-violence efforts in Milwaukee County, a list of efforts by category, and a sample of twelve evidence-based practices in violence prevention. The directory is intended to encourage communication, coordination, and collaboration among people working to prevent or reduce violence. Click on the link above to access the directory. If you know of any anti-violence efforts that should be included in this directory, or if information in the directory changes, please contact Lonna Kruse by emailing antiviolence@planningcouncil.org or calling (414) 224-0404, extension 33. If you would like printed copies of the directory, they are available for $8.00. To order, please contact Lonna Kruse.

	A Community Conversation About the Safety of Children in Foster Care Published May 2009 Download or View it HERE .pdf format. This study, which was commissioned by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation's Bright Futures Milwaukee Fund in memory of long-time child advocate James R. Ryan, was undertaken to engage the community in a discussion about the safety of children in foster care. The report provides information on the current status of children in foster care in Milwaukee, identifies best practices for keeping foster children safe, and recommends strategies for enhancing the safety of children in foster care in Milwaukee County. Clink here for more detailed information about best and evidence-based practices that enhance the safety of children in foster care. Coming soon: detailed information about what key informants had to say. Coming soon: detailed information about what caseworkers had to say. Coming soon: detailed information about what biological parents and foster parents had to say. Click on the following link to view an article about the foster care study written by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel staff http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/46266767.html. The following link is an article about the study written by LaToya Dennis of Milwaukee Public Radio http://www.wuwm.com/programs/news/view_news.php?articleid=4613. Click on the following link to view some facts about foster care.

	Office of the Milwaukee Ombudsman for Child Welfare 2008 Annual Report Published April 2009 Download or View it HERE .pdf format. The Office of the Milwaukee Ombudsman for Child Welfare (Ombudsman Office) has released its 2008 Annual Report. The Ombudsman Office is a neutral, independent office that reviews case-specific concerns regarding the safety, permanence, and well-being of children and families involved with the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare (Bureau). The Ombudsman Office responds to citizen concerns regarding specific action or inaction of the Bureau to learn whether or not policy, procedure, law, and practice standards were followed in its decision-making. The report identifies key areas for improvement, associated recommendations, and details on all contacts made to the Ombudsman Office in 2008. Click on the link above to access the full report or click on the following link to view the Executive Summary. For more information about the Ombudsman Office, go to http://ombudsmanmilw.org/default.htm.

	Agency to study Milwaukee County foster care Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, January 15, 2009 http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/37680404.html http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/37680404.html - printer friendly pdf The safety of children in Milwaukee County's foster care system is the focus of a study being conducted by the Planning Council for Health and Human Services Inc.

	Milwaukee County Long-Term Care Planning Process Report: Planning Process June 2006-July 2008 Published September 2008 Download or View it HERE .pdf format. Milwaukee County Disabilities Services Division currently has a waiting list of about 2,500 people between the ages of 18 to 59 who have disabilities and need long-term care services. The Planning Council assisted the County in planning for a managed long-term care system that would put an end to this lengthy wait for services. This report provides a high level overview of the planning structure, activities, milestones, and results of Milwaukee County's Long-Term Care Planning process for adults with disabilities under age 60. For more information on this planning process, visit our Long-Term Care Planning website at www.planningcouncil.org/longtermcare. Please note that the report states that Milwaukee County's plan is expected to be implemented in the first quarter of 2009; however, due to issues with the State budget, implementation has been pushed back. Information regarding implementation will be posted on the Long-Term Care Planning website as it becomes available and is finalized.

	Realizing Milwaukee's Potential: 2003-2007 Report to the Community Published Fall 2008 Download or View it HERE .pdf format. During the five-year period from 2003 to 2007, 2-1-1 @ IMPACT received over half a million calls. 2-1-1 @ IMPACT is a 24-hour community information and referral service. Who was calling? What were they calling about? Where were they calling from? What does 2-1-1 @ IMPACT mean to the community? These questions are answered in a Fall 2008 report, prepared by the Planning Council for 2-1-1. Click on the following link to be connected to 2‑1‑1 @ IMPACT's website to view the report, "Realizing Milwaukee's Potential: 2003-2007 Report to the Community". Look for the section on 2-1-1's website titled, "2-1-1 @ IMPACT Report to the Community (released Fall 2008)".

	Measuring outcomes of United Way-funded programs: Expectations and reality Published Fall 2008 Download or View it HERE .pdf format. The Planning Council's Executive Director, Kathleen Pritchard, has written an article that appears in the fall 2008 issue of the American Evaluation Association's journal, New Directions for Evaluation. The article is titled "Measuring outcomes of United Way-funded programs: Expectations and reality." It reviews United Way of America's approach to measuring program outcomes, and draws on lessons learned from its application throughout the country.

	Alternatives to Suspensions and Expulsions Advisory Group Report Published July, 2008 Download or View it HERE .pdf format. Prepared for the Milwaukee Public Schools Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative. This report summarizes the work of the Alternatives to Suspension and Expulsions Advisory Group activities, an ad hoc committee functioning as a sounding board for the Safe Schools Healthy Students Initiative to generate ideas to improve student achievement.