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Kansas behavioral‑health providers ask for sustained CCBHC and workforce funding
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Summary
Community mental health centers, the Behavioral Health Center of Excellence and training programs urged level or restored investments (including $7.7M for the Center of Excellence and $4M for uninsured CMHC services) to sustain mobile crisis, fellowships and workforce pipelines.
Multiple mental‑health providers and educational partners told the Committee on Social Services Budget the behavioral‑health workforce and the CCBHC model continue to require dedicated funding to preserve expanded crisis services and grow the pipeline of clinicians.
Amy Campbell of the Kansas Mental Health Coalition asked the panel to increase the lottery vending‑machine fund cap to $16,000,000 to support crisis services and Clubhouse programs and to continue level funding for the Behavioral Health Center of Excellence at $7,700,000. ‘‘These programs divert individuals from state hospitals and help them to live in the community,’’ she said.
Several community mental health centers sought restoration of a $4,000,000 one‑time appropriation given last year to support uninsured clients and CCBHC work; Kyle Kessler of the Association of Community Mental Health Centers said the Medicaid unwinding continues to increase needs and that the $4M help was intended to bridge that gap. Providers described outcomes they credited to CCBHC investments: expanded mobile crisis response teams, improved access standards and dramatic reductions in staff turnover.
Education partners reported concrete workforce gains. Michelle Ponce said the Center of Excellence funded psychiatric fellowships, addictions medicine training and nursing faculty retention incentives at Kansas universities. Chris Haben (Friends University) and Thomas Skinner (Wichita State University) described stipends and new Ph.D. and post‑doctoral training programs supported by the center. They urged continued level funding so these pipelines do not lapse.
Committee members asked for clarifications about retention metrics and whether funding is ongoing or one‑time; multiple presenters emphasized that last session’s investments produced measurable workforce capacity and that sustained funding is necessary to keep progress from reversing.
Ending: Providers recommended specific line items (restoring the $4M for CMHC uninsured funding, level funding of $7.7M for the Center of Excellence) and asked the committee to make those elements ongoing in the base budget where possible.
