46 jobs are cut at Wellness Center
Wednesday, January 14, 2004 (08:46:56)

Posted by Sylvia

The Reporter 13/01/2004

By Patty Brandl

A Fond du Lac-headquartered counseling firm that provides therapy for autistic children has cut 46 full-time positions and an unspecified number of part-time employees, according to information provided by a state workforce development Web site.

The Counseling and Wellness Center, 349 Winnebago Drive, filed the layoff information with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) on the Plant Closing and Mass Layoffs Web site as required by state law.

The business was listed in a 2002 Fond du Lac County labor market report as employing between 250 and 499 workers, making it the 15th largest employer in the county, ahead of other area employers like Action Advertising Inc., Marian College and Wal-Mart.

A Dec. 29 Sheboygan Press article said the clinic employs 500 and serves 350 clients throughout Wisconsin. Also doing business as Autism and Behavioral Consultants, the business has been forced to eliminate in-home therapy services for autistic patients as of Jan. 1 due to recent Medicaid changes that shifted responsibility for in-home services funding to individual counties.

The Fond du Lac manager of the Counseling and Wellness Center told The Reporter that clinic owner and director Dr. David Small declined to comment about the layoffs.

The DWD law states “businesses employing 50 or more persons in the State of Wisconsin must provide written notice 60 days before implementing a ‘business closing (plant closing)’ or ‘mass layoff’ in the state.”

The layoffs come just one week after local manufacturer Bestt Liebco Corp. announced that it will close its Fond du Lac plant, impacting an estimated 92 union and non-union employees.