Guidance Center asks Atchison County to restore funding as it outlines expanded mental‑health services

Stevie Durkin, chief executive officer of the Guidance Center, told the Atchison County Commission on June 10 that the center has expanded services and staff under a federal/state certified community behavioral health clinic (CCBHC) reimbursement model and asked the county to reestablish direct financial support.

Durkin said the CCBHC model changed reimbursement to be cost‑based, allowing the Guidance Center to add services such as individual placement and support (IPS) for employment, assertive community treatment (ACT) teams for high‑need adults, mobile crisis response and a crisis stabilization unit. "We will not turn people away if they cannot pay for service required services," Durkin said, describing the agency's obligation to serve residents regardless of ability to pay.

The request to the county was framed as an effort to help the center manage a continuing rise in uninsured patients seeking care. Durkin said Atchison County was the only county in Kansas that at the time of the meeting did not provide direct financial support to the Guidance Center and said the organization was seeking guidance on what budgetary or anecdotal information would help county leaders evaluate a renewed contribution. Durkin said the last local contribution in 2024 was $50,000 for the local office and $10,000 for the Guiding Lights crisis stabilization unit and described those figures as the organization's current request.

Nut graf: The commission heard the presentation as county leaders consider local budget priorities while public demand for behavioral‑health services grows. Durkin emphasized that expanded services are intended to increase early access to care and reduce future crises that result in higher‑cost hospitalizations, arrests or incarceration.

Durkin described several programs the Guidance Center has expanded or is rolling out in the region. IPS helps people with severe and persistent mental illness find and maintain employment by matching job placements with client interests and providing on‑the‑job support. ACT teams proactively engage individuals with frequent psychiatric hospitalizations or those experiencing homelessness to connect them to treatment and housing resources. The center also reported hiring a licensed clinician to serve youth in the juvenile justice system through a partnership with community corrections and noted a new crisis director intended to expand mobile crisis response in Atchison and Jefferson counties.

Durkin said the center has pursued multi‑county grants, including a suicide‑prevention grant covering Atchison, Leavenworth and Jefferson counties, and expects to host a legislative town hall in Leavenworth July 31 with the Association of Community Mental Health Centers. She asked the commissioners what data or formats would be most useful for the county to consider when evaluating financial support and said the center was working to refine and pare down its data for easier review.

Commissioner Campbell expressed support for the Guidance Center's efforts and for partnering with first responders and other county agencies. "I'm a 100% behind what you guys are doing," Campbell said. Other commissioners asked that the Guidance Center provide clearer budget breakdowns and utilization numbers, including how often residents from Atchison County use the stabilization unit and related services.

Durkin said some data currently require manual processing to identify a caller's county of residence before stabilization‑unit admission and that the center would work with county staff to provide the requested figures. She emphasized that some programs rely on grant funding or county partnerships because they are not fully reimbursable by insurance.

The commission did not take an immediate vote on funding; commissioners asked for additional budget detail and utilization data before making a decision. Durkin said the Guidance Center would follow up with the county with more specific financial and utilization information.

Ending: The commission meeting proceeded to other agenda items; commissioners signaled willingness to review the Guidance Center's materials and to discuss possible partnership options at a later date.