KDADS updates: Wichita behavioral hospital construction, waiver funding requests and legislative items

Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services Secretary Don Jordan Howard and deputies gave the committee multiple agency updates, including construction progress for the South Central Regional Mental Health Hospital in Wichita and budget priorities related to home‑and‑community‑based services (HCBS) waivers.

Deputy Secretary Scott Bruner, joining remotely, said the county/state partnership has awarded a general contractor (Key Construction) and that site preparation and the concrete pad have been completed; construction started in February with a projected completion in October. Bruner said Spark funding and prior appropriations are being used to finance construction and that KDADS has appointed project staff, an acting superintendent and a facilities director in Wichita to manage construction and early operations.

Secretary Howard summarized KDADS’ legislative agenda: establishing the Mental Health Intervention Team (MHIT) program in statute (HB 2236 referenced), statutory changes to name and set catchment areas for the South Central Regional Mental Health Hospital (bill passed the House and moving to the Senate), a proposed civil monetary reinvestment program for provider quality improvements, and an outpatient‑first approach to certain forensic competency evaluations as part of a settlement agreement. Howard also highlighted budget priorities: requests to avert waiting lists for several HCBS waivers (the testimony cited $6.2 million for the elderly waiver, $1.7 million for the technology‑assisted waiver and $700,000 for the brain injury waiver as items not yet included in the enacted budget) and funding to support HCBS providers through ongoing system reforms.