Wichita –Governor Laura Kelly today met with Sedgwick County area leaders to discuss the need for a state mental hospital in the area. The meeting included a roundtable discussion and a tour of her COMCARE Crisis Center.

“One of my top priorities when I took over was strengthening our mental health system.Governor Laura Kelly said:“Thank you to the local leaders and advocates who met with me today to discuss ways to improve mental health care in Wichita and statewide.

In addition to the need for community hospitals in south-central Kansas, we also discussed what the Kerry administration has done to address mental health care needs in Kansas and how we can continue to expand access to needed services. rice field.

Since taking office, the Kerry administration has continued to work on bipartisan solutions to expand access to mental health. These initiatives include:

• Transform 26 Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) into Accredited Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) with the capacity to treat mental health and substance abuse crises through integrated physical behavioral care.
• Bringing Mental Health Care Closer to Home in Kansas by Offering New Youth Facilities Online, Efforts to Lift Tomie Osawa Moratorium, and Increasing State Workforce Through 24/7 Pay Plans expand the state’s ability to
• Investing in mental health intervention team programs. Governor Kerry contributed his $33 million to the program, expanding the program from 9 districts to 67 districts, from 1,708 students a year to nearly 5,000. .
• Added funding to address the competency assessment and recovery process at Larned State Hospital and funded additional mobile competency and recovery services through community mental health centers.
• 9-8-8 Launch Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Crisis Hotline to enable people in Kansas who may be experiencing a mental health emergency to call 988 for professional assistance. increase.

During a tour of the COMCARE Crisis Center, she got a glimpse of the services Sedgwick County offers, including the operation of the 9-8-8 hotline.

“We’ve come a long way in the last four years, but I know we still have a lot of work to do,” she said. “My administration will work with mental health leaders and Congress to expand access to affordable and effective mental health care.”

Participants in today’s roundtable included Laura Howard, Director of Services for Aged and Disabled. House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer. Sedgwick County Manager Tom Stoltz. Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple. Robin Chadwick, President of Ascension Via Christie St. Joseph; Sedgwick County Assistant to his County Manager, Tim Kaufman. Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter. Sedgwick County Commissioner David Dennis. Sedgwick County District Attorney Mark Bennett. Wichita Police Chief Jason Cooley.

Photos from today’s roundtable and tour are available for media use. See below.

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