Johnson County developmental supports seeks added budget to cover wage, technology and service demands

Chad Von Onan, executive director of the Johnson County Department of Developmental Supports, told the Board of County Commissioners that the department's recommended FY2026 budget includes roughly $1 million more in total tax support compared with 2025, driven primarily by a recommended 4% salary and wage increase.

The increase reflects a departmentwide salary base of about $30 million and additional requests for technology and service-related expenditures, Von Onan said. He added that some new revenue streams identified after the initial budget submission ' including a planned nonemergency medical transportation contract ' should add about $250,000 annually.

Why it matters: the department provides services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) across Johnson County; funding and staffing changes affect access to programs, waiting-list management and community-based supports.

Von Onan said housing access emerged from stakeholder planning as the top local priority. "Their number 1 priority is how can they access, affordable and accessible housing," he said, attributing that finding to feedback from program participants, families and direct support professionals gathered during a February strategic-planning retreat facilitated by K-State extension staff. He described four strategic priorities adopted by the JCDS governing board: affordable housing, community education, workforce development and program improvements.

Officials reported measurable service improvements tied to workforce and operational changes. Von Onan said efforts to repurpose staff into health-support roles raised preventative appointment attendance and dramatically increased hearing screenings, from about 21% to 99% of people served. He also highlighted an initiative coordinating residential trash pickup that produced an estimated $1,800 monthly savings across 24 homes. "That was a major kudos to [residential director] Brooke Welch," he said.

The presentation described other recent investments and programs: a vehicle-tracking system for the department's 62 vehicles, an online learning-management system (Relias) to move training online and a revised fee structure adopted by the board to better reflect service costs. Officials noted Project SEARCH graduations continued, with the program marking its 10th graduation in February 2025 and more than 110 total graduates at the most recent class.

Officials also outlined emerging pressures and constraints. The state increased waiver slots by 400 in a prior session and added 200 more this session, while the statewide waiting list remains about 4,500 people; Johnson County represents roughly 20% of that list, officials said. The department reported 93 affiliate providers currently operating in the county and said anyone entering services through the state-funded waiting list has been able to access a provider locally.

Von Onan described a state-funded crisis stabilization grant that supports behavior services through board-certified behavior analysts (BCBAs). He said about 49 people were currently accessing that service and 75 people were seeking support through the program; the department contracts with providers who already hold the required certification under the annual grant. He gave an example of one case where 911 calls from a single individual fell from about 100 calls a month in November 2024 to four calls in April 2025 after behavior supports were provided.

Commissioners asked detailed questions about revenue sources and performance metrics. Robin Simes of Budget Financial Planning confirmed that roughly $2.7 million in the department's intergovernmental line is state funding tied to the county's contract to manage the community developmental disability organization; Von Onan said the department does not receive direct federal funding but operates through state Medicaid matching. Commissioners also pressed on performance measures, including training hours and personal outcome measures the department uses to evaluate quality.

Officials cautioned that federal and state policy changes could affect services. Von Onan flagged the federal Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) settings rule and said the county awaited state guidance on conflict-of-interest requirements for case management; he said KDADS (Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services) may issue further guidance in July. He also noted a 1.67% state rate increase enacted after the budget process that is expected to add about $200,000 in revenue, and several state grant awards tied to technology and program enhancement.

No formal action or vote occurred during the presentation; commissioners added items to a revisit list for later discussion. The department asked the board to consider using about $345,000 in reserves for part of the FY2026 requests and recommended covering the remainder with new revenue estimated at about $450,000 if the board chose to fund the items on an ongoing basis.

Looking ahead, Von Onan said JCDS will continue to monitor federal Medicaid developments, KDADS guidance, and the approval process for a proposed community supports waiver that would offer a narrower array of services if CMS approves it.