KDADS outlines $3 million KNI remodel to create state'run capacity for high'need youth
Loading...
Summary
KDADS officials described a governor-backed $3 million SIBF proposal to remodel a vacant Sunflower Building on the Kansas Neurological Institute campus to serve high-acuity youth who have been rejected by private providers; officials said remodeling is cheaper than new construction and that operational details (state-run vs. contracted operator) remain unsettled.
KDADS on Friday described a proposal in the governor's FY27 recommendation to spend roughly $3 million from the State Institutions Building Fund to remodel a vacant building on the Kansas Neurological Institute (KNI) campus to serve high'acuity children with complex behavioral health and dual'diagnosis needs.
Deputy Secretary Scott Brunner, who oversees hospitals and facilities for KDADS, said the Sunflower Building at KNI has been vacant and could be remediated and remodeled to serve children who cannot be safely treated in existing psychiatric residential treatment facilities or private PRTFs. "We have a building we could use," Brunner said, describing the plan as remodeling rather than new construction and noting the aim is to avoid boarding children in general hospitals.
The proposal: KDADS described the project as a capital'improvement request to create a state'operated or state'hosted facility with a no'reject/no'eject policy for youth with high needs. Officials said the project would focus on treatment rather than new construction costs and that operational models remain open: the state could staff the facility or contract operations to a private provider.
Why it matters: Committee members expressed surprise that the proposal surfaced primarily in the governor's recommendation rather than through prior committee visibility. KDADS said the need was identified in prior task force reports and through routine case management meetings with managed care organizations and community mental health centers. The agency said any operational expansion would require additional staff or contractual resources depending on the final model.
Next steps: KDADS said remodeling costs are in the governor's recommendation and that policy decisions about operation, staffing and oversight would be separate future deliberations. Lawmakers asked KDADS for more detail; the chair said the committee plans a field visit to KNI to review the facility.
