Jamellia Blakely

For 110 years, Wisconsin Community Services, Inc. (WCS) has served individuals who are involved in, or at risk of becoming involved in the behavioral health system and the justice system, as well as other vulnerable community members. As one of the state’s oldest and largest criminal justice and behavioral health nonprofit community-based organizations, the agency has developed an outstanding skill and competency to provide quality services that are effective, welcoming, compassionate, and responsive throughout southeast Wisconsin. We provide a continuum of support and care, enabling individuals to build skills and overcome adversity, such as substance use, mental health needs, criminal justice involvement and employment obstacles. WCS addresses the individual and systemic barriers that prevent members of our communities from leading productive and healthy lives. In 1912, when the agency began, its name was the “Society of the Friendless” as it primarily served men returning to the community from prison. From 1912 through 1918, the society was a one-person show, small, but vitally important to the many men aided on their journeys from prison to responsible citizenship. In 1941 the “Society for the Friendless” was legally incorporated as “The Wisconsin Service Association. In 1966, the agency once again changed its name. It became Wisconsin Correctional Services (WCS). Under that title, the agency grew from a staff of 10 to more than 200 by 2003 when the agency adopted its current name of Wisconsin Community Services, Inc., (WCS) reflecting, not a change in mission, but an expansion and adaptation. WCS began as a tiny effort and its impact has grown beyond what its Wisconsin founders likely ever envisioned. Today, as a 501c3 non-profit, WCS serves more than 15,000 individuals annually through more than 50 unique programs. The agency has 460 employees and a budget of almost $45,000,000.