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Commissioners highlight school mental-health partnership and juvenile detention capacity concerns
Summary
Commissioner Mr. Pearson reported on Central Kansas Mental Health’s partnership with Solomon schools and a planned facility expansion; another commissioner reported that the county juvenile detention center is becoming overused and described GED graduations and discussions with Saline County about space-sharing.
During committee reports at the Dec. 19 Dickinson County Commission meeting, Mr. Pearson (a commissioner who said he serves on Central Kansas Mental Health’s board on behalf of the county) described a partnership between Central Kansas Mental Health and Solomon schools and noted an upcoming or planned building expansion for the mental-health provider.
Mr. Pearson told the commission that Solomon was among the first 10 Kansas schools in 2018 to partner with Central Kansas Mental Health to enhance student mental-health and wellness resources. He said the partnership provides early-intervention services and that trained counselors are already part of the school district staff. Mr. Pearson described the arrangement as a cost-efficient way to expand access to counseling and early intervention services in schools across multiple counties.
In a separate report, a commissioner (name not specified in the transcript) said they recently spent time at the juvenile detention center in Junction City and described capacity concerns. The commissioner said the facility is heavily used and “becoming outgrown,” and that the county is talking with the Saline County Department of Corrections about using an unused corridor there to help house youth. The commissioner noted turnover among detention directors because of election-related staffing changes and said educational programming at the facility is active—citing that 10 youth earned a GED-type graduation while in custody.
Ending
The reports did not include formal actions requiring votes; they were informational updates. Commissioners listed other routine items, including a planning-and-zoning vacancy and upcoming meetings for the emergency manager and planning staff.
