The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services is taking bids to create reliable transportation for people in mental health or substance use crises with the goal of connecting them with available care.
Right now, Kansans in a crisis might not get appropriate services if they live in remote or rural areas. That can mean law enforcement intervention or simply staying in an emergency room.
KDADs anticipates awarding a single statewide contract with a budget of nearly $2.5 million.
The initiative is part of the larger Behavioral Health Services Program within the Kansas Rural Health Transportation Program. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment administers it.
Right now, there is only a patchwork of regional or countywide transportation.
For transportation that does exist, it can be rare they would pick up someone in a mental health emergency.
Personalized Acute Medical Transportation offers a variety of non-emergency transportation in the Topeka, Wichita and Kansas City areas.
Co-founder James Byrd said they lack training and resources available to handle mental health crises situations.
“A lot of companies, like my company, they're not equipped to deal with that type of passenger,” Byrd said.
Michelle Ponce is with the Association of Community Mental Health Centers of Kansas. She said Kansas currently has no reliable transportation for these types of crises.
"That transportation might fall to local law enforcement. It might fall to other types of transportation that may not be best for meeting the needs of an individual experiencing behavioral health symptoms," Ponce said.
Ponce said Kansas and its counties are responsible for providing certain behavioral health services. The 25 Kansas Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) form a statewide system of care. The centers serve more than 120 locations and provide essential mental health services, according to the ACMHCK’s website.
“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,” Ponce said.
In an announcement from KDADs, Secretary Laura Howard pointed to the existing need.
"Establishing a dedicated crisis transportation system is a critical step in strengthening Kansas' behavioral health infrastructure," Howard said.
Rachel Schnelle reports on Missouri and Kansas issues for KRPS.
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