The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADs) is seeking bids to establish a reliable transportation system for individuals experiencing mental health or substance use crises. This initiative aims to ensure that residents in rural areas receive timely access to necessary services, rather than facing interventions from law enforcement or being left in emergency rooms.
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KDADs plans to award a single statewide contract with an estimated budget of nearly $2.5 million as part of the Behavioral Health Services Program within the Kansas Rural Health Transportation Program, managed by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
Currently, transportation options are limited and often ineffective for handling urgent mental health situations. Many regional and county systems fall short, with companies like Personalized Acute Medical Transportation in Topeka, Wichita, and Kansas City lacking the training and resources to adequately support passengers in crisis situations. Co-founder James Byrd acknowledged that many transportation services are not equipped to manage these types of emergencies.
Michelle Ponce from the Association of Community Mental Health Centers of Kansas emphasized the absence of reliable transportation specifically for mental health crises. She pointed out that the responsibility for addressing these challenges often falls to local law enforcement or other transportation services that may not effectively meet the needs of those in crisis.
Ponce noted that the 25 Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) across Kansas are crucial in delivering essential mental health services. "No individual can be admitted to a state psychiatric hospital without being screened by a community mental health center and being deemed to need that level of care," she stated.
In a recent announcement, KDADs Secretary Laura Howard stressed the urgency of creating a dedicated crisis transportation system, calling it a vital step in enhancing Kansas' behavioral health infrastructure.