Washington County

Contact the ADRC Information & Assistance staff at (262) 335-4497 or by Email.

Information & Assistance Specialists provide unbiased, objective information and assistance about a wide variety of topics, including:

• Aging services and supports
• Disability conditions, services, and supports
• Youth in transition to adult services and programming
• Long-term care including

- Living arrangements (assisted living, nursing home, or other settings)
- Paying for long-term care (private pay, long-term insurance, publicly funded long-term care)
- Long term care services (home care, care management, respite)

• Financial resources – including housing, energy assistance                               
• Housing – including senior, low-income, accessible options
• Transportation
• Nutrition – including food pantry, home delivered/congregate senior dining
• Home maintenance – including chores, modifications, and home safety
• Caregiver services and supports
• Legal resources – including consumer rights, advocacy, complaints and grievances

Information & Assistance Specialists also provide Options Counseling. Options Counseling is a person-centered, interactive, decision-support process. It is more in depth than just providing a list of services providers or programs. Options Counseling can cover many of the topics listed above.

Options Counseling may be offered if you have

• Limited ability to communicate
• Barriers advocating for yourself
• Limited support system
• Limited capacity to act on information provided
• New or advancing health conditions
• Life altering event or situation
• Significant changes in circumstances
• Limited financial resources to fund needed services

Transitional Resource Services provides information on future planning for young adults ages 17-21 who have physical or intellectual disabilities, their parents or guardians.

Services offered:

• Information & Assistance regarding local and state services, programs and resources
• Screening for functional eligibility for long term care programs
• Attendance at students’ IEP’s
• Referrals to Disability Benefit Specialist (questions on the Social Security application process)
• Collaboration with county and community resources and services
• Enrollment into long term care programs (Family Care, Partnership, IRIS, and Self-Directed Supports)
• Referral for services, supports and educational/vocational programs

Transition to Adult Long-Term Care

Wisconsin’s Department of Health Services (DHS) is improving the transition experience for young people moving from children’s services to adult services. If you are a teen or young adult, or a parent of a young adult, then the transition to adulthood can be easier if you share information with your support and services coordinator (SSC) and others about your current goals or changes you experience. It is also beneficial to have a meeting with all the people supporting you, or your child, to plan for the changes that will happen when you transition to adult services.

It is important to have a face to face transition planning meeting prior to the agreed upon transition date that includes you, your parents or guardians, your SSC and a representative from Family Care, IRIS, or your county’s long-term support program, who will be working with you as an adult. In addition, you may consider including other family members, a vocational rehabilitation counselor, school team members, employer(s) and other community members at the transition planning meeting.

This meeting provides you an opportunity to:

1. Learn about differences between the children’s and adult programs so you can anticipate changes.
2. Share your current services and desired outcomes so you can begin planning for your adult long-term care outcomes and services.
3. Plan for continuity between children’s and adult services - whenever possible – or discuss changes in services or providers prior to the new plan implementation.
4. Discuss your Medicaid eligibility, especially if you have Medicaid through Katie Beckett Program, which ends at age 19. 

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