A representative of Central Kansas told the Dickinson County Board of Commissioners that county funding is essential to maintain access to mental health and crisis services for residents who are uninsured or underinsured and asked the county to increase its support by 4%.

Central Kansas said Medicaid is the largest revenue source for its services but that Medicaid funds are restricted to Medicaid-covered services. The presenter said the agency depends on a combination of Medicaid reimbursements, state funding, insurance payments and county dollars to operate a 24/7 crisis system and to provide sliding-scale services for people referred from community corrections, jails, schools and first responders.

"This fund plays a vital role ensuring that individuals that have mental health disorders or diagnoses have access to services at a time when you're in crisis, and regardless of their ability to pay," the Central Kansas representative said. "Based on state statutes, we cannot turn anybody away based on their ability to pay."

The representative said Central Kansas provided more than $287,000 in services to Dickinson County residents in 2024 with limited reimbursement, and that more than 87% of the cost remained uncompensated. The presenter described a lowest fee of $20 on a sliding scale tied to federal poverty guidelines and said staff will accept smaller partial payments when that is all a client can afford.

Central Kansas highlighted populations the county investment helps reach: veterans and military families, rural farmers, the aging population and justice-involved individuals. The presenter said the aging population in the region is growing rapidly and that preventive and early-intervention services in schools and communities reduce emergency-room visits and lessen strain on public safety systems.

After board members asked questions about outreach and partnerships, the presenter said the agency formally requested a 4% increase in Dickinson County funding. According to the budget summary provided to commissioners, that change would raise the county's per-capita investment from $7.35 to $7.64 and would equal a county-level increase of $5,410.

Central Kansas also described recent investments: acquisition of a smaller new building to house youth services, expanded partnerships with community corrections and local law enforcement for co-responder and reentry efforts, and a move toward mobile crisis responses that send clinicians to where people identify they are safest to be served. The presenter said the agency served nearly 5,100 individuals in 2024, of which the transcript records 871 were Dickinson County residents.

The representative asked the commission to consider the funding request to preserve access to crisis and specialty services for uninsured and underinsured residents.

The board did not take a formal vote on this request during the presentation.