Youth crisis stabilization center wins national award; county hears one-year operational update

Johnson County's Youth Crisis Stabilization Center (YCSC) received a National Association of Counties (NACo) achievement award and county and partner staff presented a one-year operational update to the Board of County Commissioners.

Kevin Koobelt, division director of clinical services at the Mental Health Center, described the center's operations and partners, noting the program grew from planning and hiring in early 2024 to opening in September 2024 after securing licensing and staff training. Koobelt said the YCSC has served just over 200 youth through July 30 and was housing youth numbers 205 and 206 at the time of the report. Admissions have come from about 20 cities, with Overland Park, Olathe, Lenexa and Gardner among the largest sources.

Staff presented multiple operational statistics: roughly 60 percent of admitted youth already received services from Johnson County Mental Health; 27 percent were involved with the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF), child-in-need-of-care (CINC), police protective custody or the foster-care system; and 13 percent had stepped down from acute hospitalization or detention. About 35 percent of referrals came directly from parents, and 31 percent had law-enforcement contact, encompassing co-responder referrals and juvenile intake pathways. Koobelt said 70 percent of admitted youth had a diagnosed mental-health condition, and roughly 17 percent had a history of substance use. The center reported that females comprised 53 percent of admissions and that 15-year-old females were a prominent subgroup.

Commissioners and staff discussed funding and referral sources. Commissioner Fast asked whether payer sources were predominately Medicaid; Koobelt said about 70 percent of youth were Medicaid-funded, with a mix of private insurance and other sources for the remainder. Commissioners praised the center's partnership model, noting involvement by corrections, law enforcement co-responder teams, county crisis lines, schools, hospitals and area mental-health providers. Several commissioners praised the program's community impact; Commissioner Myers and others noted the award as recognition of Johnson County's broader services and innovation.

County and mental-health staff said the center planned to expand services and would continue coordination with schools, law enforcement and hospitals. The board did not take a vote on the presentation; the report was informational.