Dane County's proposed Department of Human Services budget includes a new supervisor to help manage the Child Protective Services unit, which has come under scrutiny following the deaths of two children who were released from county custody.

Despite what is expected to be a difficult budget situation, the Human Services budget submitted Friday to County Executive Kathleen Falk maintains funding for most of the department's programs, though service providers still worry that increased demand and flat funding levels are eroding the quality of services.

With a state budget in place, foster care cases down and Medicaid revenue up, the budget picture is much healthier than it was last year, when the state budget wasn't done, Human Services Director Lynn Green said.

"There's always people who are going to say you could always do more, and that's always true," Green said. "But I'm really proud how we put this budget together."

Green has proposed spending $226.7 million, with $62.7 million coming from county property taxes — a $75,484 increase over this year. Spending would increase $3.2 million or 1.4 percent over this year.

Department officials met in recent weeks with county social workers, who identified the need for 12 new positions, said Dane County Sup. Shelia Stubbs, chairwoman of the board's Health and Human Needs Committee.

Social workers also expressed concern about each supervisor managing 14 social workers. The new position would reduce the ratio to one supervisor per eight employees. The county plans to do a staffing study to get a better handle on the actual need, Stubbs said.

"They are overworked," said Stubbs, of Madison. "If we need to add positions, then we'll put positions there. We just don't know what's a good amount."

Green expects the county can save $2.2 million next year because of a reduction in foster care cases. Green said there has been no directive to reduce the number of placements in those programs and the reduction resulted from decreased demand.

The state Department of Child and Families is reviewing a case from three years ago in which Dane County granted custody of a child to a woman accused of killing the 6-year-old in Ohio last month. That follows the state's finding in February that a Dane County social worker made errors in granting custody to a woman accused of killing her daughter last year.

For the sixth-straight year, the budget wouldn't include a cost-of-living adjustment for service providers such as the Dane County Mental Health Center, said Lynn Brady, the center's director of clinical services. That means agencies the provide services for the county must use the same pot of money to pay for salary increases, rent, utilities and other expenses — all while demand for services is increasing, Brady said.

Within the past year, the waiting list for services at the Mental Health Center has topped 400, Brady said. More patients are being admitted for services after being hospitalized for a mental health crisis, rather than being treated when they come in to set up an appointment.

"We know there's no money in the system, but you can't say this is a good budget," Brady said. "You are balancing the budget on the backs of the people who need these services."

A one percent cost-of-living adjustment would cost about $1 million, Green noted.

The budget proposal does include funding for a mental health specialist who would help connect clients with social security benefits.

Homeless advocates were glad the proposed budget maintained programming added in this year's budget and added the mental health specialist, said Joseph Lindstrom, legislative committee chairman for the Dane County Homeless Services Consortium, a coalition of homeless services providers.

"We're definitely more pleased this year than we were last year," Lindstrom said. The consortium will seek another $400,000 for alcohol and drug treatment, and diagnoses and medication for mental health patients.