Over the last year, the I-Team's told you about professional license delays at the state level. The Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) approves licenses for everything from a tattoo artist to mental health professionals.
In May of last year, the I-Team reported DSPS implemented new technology in hopes of processing more applications in a more timely manner.
Now, the I-Team is seeing what progress has been made after some professionals said the processing of applications is still delayed.
"We're seeing a huge increase in mental health needs," Erin Perez told the I-Team.
Perez is the clinical director of Ozaukee Community Therapies. Perez is over a few dozen therapists in two of their offices in Ozaukee and Sheboygan. She said there's been an increase in mental health services that she and her team weren't prepared for.
"Prior to COVID, we were getting 7 to 10 phone calls a week for referrals, we're getting anywhere from 40 to 50 per week now," Perez explained.
The desperate need for services, amplified for Perez, as she tries to hire professional, licensed counselors to keep up with demand. Licenses, in some cases Perez said, are still taking nearly a year to get approved.
"We're hiring people and semi-on-boarding them, but they can't start providing services without that license," Perez added.
It's been more than a year since DSPS started using a new online portal and application processing system. But are things really moving quicker?
In the last year, 22 contracted staff were hired using ARPA funding. Positions the department said will only last until that federal money runs out.
"We're issuing more licenses, more quickly, than ever before," DSPS Secretary, Dan Hereth, said.
Hereth said the approval process is quicker because of the new software, but attributes the change largely to increased staff.
From 2016 to 2021, applicants waited an average of 76 days for approval. Now, Hereth said that time has been cut in half. Also, with that additional contracted staff, they're answering 97 percent of calls today compared to 37 percent this time last year.
"I know that our applicants need those services, and it's so very critical that we continue to provide those services to address workforce shortages," Hereth explained.
To address those shortages, DSPS is trying to get more, permanent staff. Governor Tony Evers included additional staff in his budget proposal, but now, that request is making its way through the Joint Finance Committee and eventually to the State Legislature where positions could be kept, tossed out, or even added. In the next month, we'll know more.
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