Progress is coming on mental health, but lots more needs to be done | Commentary

Across our nation, we are seeing staggering statistics on mental health data:

▪ 46% of Americans will meet the criteria for a diagnosable mental health condition sometime in their life; half of those people will develop conditions by the age of 14.

▪ 1 in 5 American adults will have a diagnosable mental health condition in any given year.

Our community is not unscathed from these statistics and those suffering from mental health illnesses.

Right now, efforts are coming together and there is positive momentum regarding a comprehensive mental health model in Sedgwick County.

But it is essential that we continue to work together with resilience, urgency, and collaboration to find mental health solutions for this region.

All of us are affected when adults and youth suffer from mental health conditions – our workforce, our schools, our hospitals, our corrections and detention systems, and our judicial system.

While we have been analyzing and discussing this for years in Sedgwick County, it is very heartening to see a combined effort towards tangible solutions from our state, education system, and non-profit partners.

We believe Sedgwick County is the ideal location for a state mental health hospital, and we continue to send this vision to our Kansas Legislature.

Situating a state mental health hospital near this area provides workforce stability and patients a hospital bed in their home community for their family support system.

Sedgwick County is poised and ready for the hospital to be placed in this region as a key component to the mental health system.

Wichita State University and the University of Kansas have recently announced plans for a joint bio-medical education center.

This creates a training ground and workforce pipeline for clinicians, care specialists, and therapists to staff the mental health hospital and Comcare Crisis Center.

Additionally, there is community momentum to create a social services hub/campus to create a “warm handoff” between providers for people with mental health, substance abuse, and homelessness needs.

By bringing local nonprofits, businesses and other community partners together in one hub/campus, clients could find all the services they need from medical help and counseling to emergency housing and job training.

Making it easy to get help will give clients a better chance at success.

Sedgwick County has allocated more than $15 million dollars to expand and relocate our Comcare Community Crisis Center.

Since opening in 2015, the Crisis Center and its mobile units have delivered nearly 18,000 hours of emergency mental health care to those in dire need.

That, in turn, has helped our community avoid an estimated $15.5 million dollars in jail and hospital expenses.

Approximately 30% of Sedgwick County jail inmates suffer from mental illnesses. Increasing the capacity of our Crisis Center will likewise increase those savings even more.

Mental Health is a top priority at Sedgwick County and we are committed to finding solutions for those struggling and in need of support from our community.

These regional solutions and initiatives will deliver a successful foundational infrastructure to mental health care in Sedgwick County.