Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Douglas County authorizes one-time solvency funds for Headquarters for Kansas crisis center
Loading...
Summary
After hearing a detailed financial and operational update, the Douglas County Commission unanimously approved one-time solvency assistance to Headquarters for Kansas to help cover audit, reimbursement shortfalls and payroll cash-flow needs; staff and the provider agreed on oversight reporting and continued updates to the court and county.
The Douglas County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to authorize one-time solvency assistance for Headquarters for Kansas, a crisis call-center provider, after staff and the organization presented a detailed financial update and operations timeline.
Bob Trojanski, the county’s director of behavioral health projects, outlined the request and introduced Dan Watkins and Megan Bridges from Headquarters for Kansas. Dan Watkins described a recent period of receivership and finance stabilization work that included contracting outsourced chief financial officer services and auditors and said the organization had significant audit and accounting costs while working to catch up missing audits for 2022–2024.
Watkins told the board the provider has faced several one-time and recurring costs: outsourced financial-management services he estimated averaged about $20,000 per month while audits by SSC ran higher than normal; KDADS (Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services) required repayment of approximately $340,000; and Headquarters took a $100,000 loan to ensure payroll. He said Headquarters operates about a $4 million annual budget and asked for $300,000 in assistance, ideally split between April and June to stabilize cash flow.
“We recognize you need oversight,” Watkins told commissioners and offered continued reporting to the court, KDADS, and the county as auditors finish the 2025 audit draft expected in the next month.
Megan Bridges, director of crisis services at Headquarters for Kansas, described operational changes including the January transition of the local line to 988 and interim 'press 2' routing to preserve local handoffs. She provided data showing the local-number shutdown reduced calls and that georouting and partnerships (including a contract to answer Bert Nash lines) are yielding improved reimbursement clarity from KDADS.
Commissioners pressed on costs, ongoing audit fees, the source of the short-term loan and whether the $300,000 request would return Headquarters to stability. Watkins said the funds would allow Headquarters to repay the loan, address payables and avoid a week-to-week cash crunch while the organization finalizes corrective financial controls and implements a board. The county’s finance staff and behavioral-health staff committed to oversight and monthly updates.
The board voted to approve the request and to authorize the county administrator to execute related contracts and agreements.
What happens next: County administration and the provider will finalize the agreement and oversight terms; staff will receive regular reports and the provider will continue to produce audit deliverables and court filings as agreed.
