The Armory Project partners with Federal Firearms License holders to provide voluntary, temporary firearm storage to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. Establishing TAP locations at local gun shops offers a trusted, professional option that may be more likely to be used by gun owners.

• Secure and Protect Initiative: jocogov.org/secure-protect-initiative
• The Armory Project (TAP): armoryproject.org

To date, through outreach by Johnson County Mental Health Center, one gun shop in Johnson County—Up in Arms Kansas in De Soto—has agreed to be a TAP location. Other shops have expressed interest, but liability concerns are a barrier to them participating. We are asking for your support to change that.

Two other states, Arkansas and Louisiana, have successfully expanded The Armory Project by passing legislation to protect FFL holders from civil liability tied to the voluntary, temporary firearm storage they provide. In the two states, TAP participation grew from six retailers to over 30 after the legislation was passed, and they have responsibly stored over 1,000 firearms for 90 people in crisis.

The foundation of an excellent public mental health safety-net system is a robust, well-funded State Hospital System. Individuals requiring involuntary admissions in Kansas do not have immediate access to inpatient beds.

The passage of SB 19 by the Kansas Legislature in 2022 was a success and helped create the foundation of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. As awareness of this resource grows and call volume increases, there is a need for ongoing, sustainable funding.

The lack of stable housing resources for individuals with a mental illness remains an issue across Kansas. Stable housing is a social determinant of health, and without that basic need being met, recovery becomes more challenging. We support the funding and implementation of the Medicaid housing programs that were approved and funded by the Kansas Legislature in 2018.

Expanding Medicaid would strengthen the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic model in Kansas, providing care for thousands of Kansans with mental health conditions and substance use disorders. Expansion would also save Johnson County taxpayers over $11 million annually in uncompensated mental health treatment currently provided by JCMHC. Even with the CCBHC model, the lack of Medicaid expansion requires sustained funding for behavioral health care services for the uninsured and underinsured. Community mental health providers like JCMHC help Kansas communities avoid more expensive and restrictive interventions at emergency rooms, hospitals or jails.

Given the increasingly complex and challenging needs of individuals and families within our communities, as well as the prevalence of drugs and other social problems, it is more important than ever that individuals have access to alcohol and drug treatment services in coordination with mental health services, embracing medication-assisted treatment or medication-assisted recovery as a pathway to recovery.

Recent advances, including the CCBHC model and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, are foundational to Kansas’ mental health system. Sustaining funding is essential to maintaining these programs. Any proposed changes must be thoroughly evaluated to protect the integrity of the public mental health safety net.

Expanding access to Assisted Outpatient Treatment programs statewide would improve mental health outcomes, reduce hospitalizations and enhance public safety. AOT provides court-ordered, community-based mental health treatment for individuals with severe mental illness who have a history of non-adherence to voluntary treatment and repeated hospitalizations or law enforcement encounters.

Expanding community-based competency evaluation and restoration programs statewide would reduce delays in criminal proceedings, alleviate pressure on state psychiatric hospitals, and improve outcomes for individuals with mental illness. These programs allow defendants who do not require hospital-level care to receive evaluation and treatment in community settings rather than jails or state hospitals.

As Kansas considers the legalization of medical marijuana, it is critical to prioritize research and regulation. A thoughtful approach must consider medicinal benefits, potential mental health complications and the risks associated with increased youth exposure and use. Careful regulation will help mitigate impacts on Kansas communities.

Increasing the maximum appraised home valuation further, increasing the qualifying maximum household income, expanding the qualifying requirements to include renters and introducing an index to allow for equal benefit across the state for older adult property tax relief programs may double the number of eligible Johnson County qualifying residents.