(Feb. 6, 2025) – Today, the House Health and Human Services Committee heard from the Medicaid inspector general, who reviewed the agency's mission and structure and shared the results and achievements of the office.

The Association of Community Mental Health Centers of Kansas gave an overview of their association. They highlighted that the Certified Community Behavioral Health Centers will increase costs by 40 percent but increase access by 75 percent. Kyle Kessler presented that all 26 mental health providers in the state are now CCBHCs.

Tim DeWeese of the Johnson County Mental Health Center testified to the benefits of the CCBHC model, highlighting that turnover went from 27 percent to 15 percent and vacancy rates are now under 6 percent.

Four County Mental Health Center presented to the committee that it serves 6,800 patients annually and that 87 percent of high-risk patients require no hospitalization.

Michelle Ponce, acting director of the Kansas Behavioral Health Center of Excellence, discussed the center's goals to provide access to expertise, develop workforce strategies and research how to leverage existing resources. The center selected Wichita as the location based on the new state hospital. They appropriated $5.8 million to help nursing retention, provided 19 community and technical college grants, provided 14 scholarships at Wichita State University and are expanding internships and fellowships with local child/adolescent psychiatry and addiction medicine. They request $9.7 million in state general funds for fiscal year 2026.

Dr. Ken Stolzfuz, vice president of Academic Affairs at Friends University, and Dr. Tiffany Masson from Kansas Health Science University discussed the industry needs in mental health in south-central Kansas.

The committee will meet again next week.