Jane Klekamp, Administrator at La Crosse County | lacrossecounty.org
Jane Klekamp, Administrator at La Crosse County | lacrossecounty.org
La Crosse County social workers are employing new strategies to address complex community issues, according to county administrator Jane Klekamp. These efforts include helping individuals recently released from jail with employment and health care access, which aims to reduce repeat involvement in the criminal justice system.
The county’s Pathways Home initiative, launched last year as a joint city-county plan, established a Specialized Behavioral Health Unit. Social workers in this unit connect people experiencing homelessness with housing and mental health services. Many individuals face barriers such as lacking identification or a permanent address, making it difficult to access basic resources.
Klekamp reported that since November, the number of people experiencing homelessness in La Crosse has dropped by 30%. Under the coordinated Pathways system, more people are entering housing than becoming homeless. Housing each unsheltered individual is estimated to save the community $35,000 annually in costs related to health care and criminal justice systems.
Another program highlighted is Co-Response, which pairs social workers with law enforcement officers for mental health crisis response. These teams operate throughout the day and have diverted 200 people from emergency rooms during the first half of 2024 alone. This has resulted in an estimated savings of $169,000 for local hospitals and other stakeholders. Nearly 200 individuals were also connected to ongoing community services through this program.
La Crosse County was selected as one of three counties to pilot Family Keys, a state initiative assisting families involved with Child Protective Services in finding stable housing. In its first year locally, all 13 participating families remained housed together without any out-of-home placements. A participant shared: “I shudder to think what would’ve happened to me and my daughter if it wasn’t for Family Keys.”
Funding from the Thriving Families initiative—a $3 million county investment—will allow Family Keys to continue beyond its pilot phase. Catholic Charities and Couleecap are using these funds to purchase homes for supportive housing.
Klekamp stated: “Reducing recidivism and homelessness, supporting mental health, and keeping families together is not just good policy — it’s a smart, long-term investment of public dollars. When we support people earlier, we prevent the need for far more expensive interventions down the road. And that helps hold down the public costs we all share — from insurance rates to tax bills.”
She added: “I’m proud of the innovation and compassion our social workers bring to their work. They are among our most important public servants, strengthening our community every single day.”
La Crosse County schools serve a diverse student body across several high-enrollment institutions including Holmen High School (1,246 students), Central High School (1,014 students), and Onalaska High School (926 students) during the 2023-24 school year https://dpi.wi.gov/. White students made up about three-quarters of enrollment at 75.7% (11,438), while Asian students accounted for 9.2% (1,390). Multiracial students were the third largest group at 7.4%, with smaller ethnic groups comprising another 7.7% https://dpi.wi.gov/.
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