Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley Signs Bill Adding 27 New Positions to ADRC to Better Serve Older Adults and People with Disabilities

MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley signed File #24-426, legislation adding 27 new positions to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) to expand services focusing on youth-to-adult transition, options counseling, veterans’ benefits specialists, and community outreach.

The ADRC serves a critical role in responding to older adults and people with disabilities, two populations that were particularly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. While in the field with local health departments, ADRC staff ensure residents’ basic needs are met, including meals, transportation, mental health resources, caregiver support, and a range of other services.

“By creating these new jobs, Milwaukee County is working to better support our growing population of older adults and individuals with disabilities to ensure these folks have access to the services and resources they need,” said County Executive Crowley. “I am proud we are allocating resources for new staff to focus on key areas, including options counseling to help people enroll in long-term care, mental health needs to address the increase in isolation since the pandemic, and benefits specialists to assist people in getting connected to healthcare. Together, let’s continue supporting older adults and individuals with disabilities in Milwaukee County.”

Statewide, ADRCs are short of staff to meet the demands of serving older adults and Wisconsinites with disabilities. This shortfall has been greater in Milwaukee County, where staffing levels have declined over the past decade while caseloads have increased. Milwaukee County leads the state in publicly funded long-term care enrollments. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) recognized this deficit and recommended a $4.4 million increase in core ADRC funding across the state, including specific redistribution and reinvestment in Milwaukee County. The expansion of funding for Milwaukee County includes $1.6 million in new state funding for CY2024, with an anticipated additional $1.3 million in federal match funds. These funds are supporting the creation of the 27 new full-time positions within ADRC and DHHS Aging & Disabilities Services (ADS).

“If you have aging parents, are part of the sandwich generation, are a caregiver or know a caregiver, you know caregiving can be incredibly stressful,” said Shakita LaGrant-McClain, DHHS Executive Director. “With this expansion, we’re poised to better serve our community and ensure that every resident has access to the resources and support they need.”

In Milwaukee County, ADRC staff connect older adults to services, such as transportation to appointments and meal assistance. Additionally, they have assisted with preventing evictions and providing outreach to isolated seniors to prevent social isolation and abuse. To reach the Milwaukee County ADRC, call 414-289-6874 or email adrc@milwaukeecountywi.gov.

Learn more about the Milwaukee County ADRC here.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.