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High Plains Mental Health asks Ellis County to help fund 22‑bed crisis center to reduce state hospital waits
Summary
High Plains Mental Health Center presented a request for county funding toward a planned 22‑bed, $5 million crisis and sobering facility in Hays that would provide up to 72‑hour involuntary care and reduce long waits for state hospital placement, saying 224 Ellis County residents were screened for crisis in 2024.
Craig Poe, a representative of High Plains Mental Health Center, told the Ellis County Commission the organization is seeking county support for a new 22‑bed crisis and sobering facility in Hays. “This facility is the only type that will be in any of the Western half of the state,” Poe said, and it is designed to provide short‑term care while people are stabilized.
Poe said the project under construction is a little over $5 million and would operate under a short‑term license similar to existing crisis stabilization units. He said the center would be licensed for 72‑hour holds and—unlike the center’s current services—would be prepared to take involuntary admissions when clinically indicated.
The request is tied to an interlocal funding model among 20 counties. Poe said the center’s packet showed that 224 Ellis County residents were screened for mental health crisis in 2024 and that the funding request presented to counties was intended to support those screenings and potential admissions. He described that model and the screening counts as the basis for the county share presented in the packet.
Why it matters: Poe told commissioners the new facility aims to reduce long waits for placement at Larned State Hospital. He said two people screened in Hays recently met criteria for the state hospital but waited more than two weeks for placement and instead remained under 24‑hour observation without the full psychiatric care they needed. That, he said, is part of the motivation for creating a local 72‑hour involuntary‑care option.
Details and local impact: Poe said the center expects to add about 50 direct jobs and estimated an associated regional employment impact of roughly 86 jobs in the Hays area through indirect effects. He described entry‑level behavioral health technician positions at roughly $19 per hour with benefits and said the facility will provide local career opportunities and retention of recent graduates.
The presentation described the planned facility as an alternative—not a replacement—to state hospitals. Poe cited results from a similar temporary facility in Lawrence, where he said around 98% of individuals who received services did not subsequently require state hospitalization.
Commissioners asked about funding mechanics, whether other counties would contribute, and how ongoing operating costs would be handled. Poe said High Plains is pursuing a mix of interlocal contributions, potential agreements with other regional community mental health centers, and other funding mechanisms; he said there were no finalized county commitments from the other counties at the time of the presentation. He also said the center is not asking the county to underwrite construction costs but is requesting operating support as the facility opens.
No formal county vote on a funding commitment was recorded during the meeting; the request remained under consideration and commissioners asked that staff and High Plains continue follow‑up conversations.
Ending: Poe concluded by asking commissioners to consider the packet and the potential service change for Western Kansas residents and to discuss funding for 2026 during upcoming budget deliberations.
