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Platte County appoints inaugural members to local mental health board
Summary
The county commission approved appointments to its new Platte County Mental Health Board, naming nine inaugural trustees including medical professionals, provider representatives and community members to prepare for direct management of next year’s county mental-health program.
The Platte County Commission approved Resolution 2026RES041 on May 4 to appoint nine inaugural trustees to the newly formed Platte County Mental Health Board, moving the county from its prior partnership with Clay and Ray counties toward local governance of mental-health services.
County Administrator Wes Minder said the board is necessary because the county has grown and will transition mental-health program administration to a Platte County board starting next year. He said the advisory committee reviewed applications and recommended nine individuals to serve staggered terms (one, two and three years) so the inaugural board can establish bylaws and administrative procedures before managing funds that take effect Jan. 1.
The appointees include three licensed medical professionals (Dr. Ali Syed, Carmen McHenry, Dr. Doug Burgess), three representatives who are consumers or family members of consumers (Patricia Harris, Neil Getzlo, Paul Campbell), and three representatives of public or private mental-health providers (Jason Reed, Karen Bartlett, Suzanne Zimmerman). Minder said the board must include at least one licensed medical doctor and not more than four health-care providers, and that staff will prepare bylaws and administrative support.
Commissioners praised the advisory committee’s work and noted a competitive applicant pool; one commissioner said there were "twice as many applications as there were seats to fill." The commission approved the appointments by roll call (motion carried 3–0).
What’s next: The board will draft bylaws, elect officers, hire an administrative assistant, solicit provider applications, and be ready to administer county mental-health funding beginning Jan. 1 of the next program year, according to county staff.
