Rep. Kathy Wolfe Moore named Outstanding Public Official

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ---- Kansas State Representative Kathy Wolfe Moore was presented with the Outstanding Public Official Award for her support of the public mental health system in Kansas.

The award was presented to Representative Wolfe Moore by the Association of Community Mental Health Centers of Kansas, Inc., at its 36th annual conference in Overland Park, Kansas.

“Representative Wolfe Moore was instrumental in helping to ensure treatment and care to Kansans with mental illness while containing costs to the State’s budget this year,” remarked Michael Garrett, Executive Director of Horizons Mental Health Center in Hutchinson, Kansas, and President of the Association. Garrett joined Kyle Kessler, the Association Executive Director, in presenting the award to Representative Wolfe Moore at the annual Conference of the Association on September 17, 2014.

“I am proud to present this award to Representative Wolfe Moore, she certainly deserves to be recognized for his leadership in developing sound public policy,” said Garrett.

 “Kathy is a strong supporter of mental health treatment and care, working over the past two years with local law enforcement, mental health and substance abuse leaders to develop the new Rainbow Services in the statehouse,” said Kyle Kessler. “She understands the importance of mental health care and treatment, and has exhibited great leadership on the House floor in the area of sound fiscal and public policy.”

Representative Wolfe Moore said, “Rainbow Services, Inc. provides services for persons experiencing mental health or substance abuse crises in Johnson and Wyandotte Counties, which can prevent unnecessary hospitalization or incarceration of persons who can benefit from community-based resources.”  Her support has been critical in her County, and she says “I understand that without adequate funding, Kansans who need mental health treatment may end up in state psychiatric hospitals or in county jails or state prisons.”

The Association is an affiliate member of the Kansas Association of Counties, with 26 State Licensed Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) in Kansas who provide home and community-based, as well as outpatient mental health services in all 105 counties in Kansas, 24-hours a day, seven days a week.  In Kansas, CMHCs are the local Mental Health Authorities coordinating the delivery of publicly funded community-based mental health services.

The CMHC system is state and county funded and locally administered.  Consequently, service delivery decisions are made at the community level, closest to the residents that require mental health treatment. 

Each CMHC has a defined and discrete geographical service area.  With a collective staff of over 4,000 professionals, the CMHCs provide services to Kansans of all ages with a diverse range of presenting problems.  Together, this system of 26 licensed CMHCs form the backbone of the total mental health system in Kansas, serving more than 130,000 Kansans each year.

Community Mental Health Centers provide services to all Kansans needing it, regardless of economic level, age or type of illness.  For more information about the Community Mental Health Centers in Kansas, visit our web site at www.acmhck.org or call (785) 234-4773.