In a major step to expand crisis care, the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners voted Thursday to add 21 positions at Johnson County Mental Health Center. The move strengthens the county’s behavioral health services by establishing an Adult Crisis Stabilization Center and enhancing 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline support.

The board approved 18 new positions for a new Adult Crisis Stabilization Center and three additional call specialists for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline team. Ongoing funding for the Adult Crisis Stabilization Center positions will be provided through Medicaid revenue tied to JCMHC’s full certification as a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic, while the 988 roles will be funded through a contract with the State of Kansas for Community Mental Health Centers. No county tax support is required to fund the new positions.

BOCC Chairman Mike Kelly said, “These additions are a response to undeniable community needs. The Adult Crisis Stabilization Center will benefit not only members of the community in need of mental health assistance but will also lessen the demands on area law enforcement and emergency rooms where these individuals were previously treated. This helps everyone in Johnson County. The additional 988 operators will better serve our youth population by expanding texting services, meeting young people where they’re at with their preferred form of communication.”

New Adult Crisis Stabilization Center in Shawnee

Establishing an Adult Crisis Stabilization Center will help address one of Johnson County’s most significant gaps in care: 24-hour local support for adults experiencing a behavioral health crisis or emergency. Too often, these individuals are diverted to jail, emergency rooms, or out-of-county services.

National data shows that 44% of adults in the criminal justice system have a diagnosable mental health condition, and 65% of those adults with a mental health condition also struggle with a substance use disorder. The Adult Crisis Stabilization Center will strengthen Johnson County’s commitment to focusing on treatment and rehabilitation as an alternative to incarceration, reducing the prevalence of serious mental illness in the criminal justice system.

“Our goal is to provide the right service at the right time to people in our community experiencing a behavioral health crisis, and that starts with access,” said Tim DeWeese, Johnson County Mental Health Center’s director. “The Adult Crisis Stabilization Center will be a critical around-the-clock connection to immediate intervention and care in our own backyard, providing crisis support within the community and keeping adults with mental illnesses out of jails and emergency rooms.”  

The Medicaid revenue used to establish the program includes funding for 18 new positions, including a clinician, a case manager, a nursing supervisor and three nurses, as well as several behavioral health specialists to provide around-the-clock observation and supervision of adults receiving services at the Adult Crisis Stabilization Center.

The 14-bed program will be housed at The Recovery Place in Shawnee, which also houses Johnson County Mental Health Center’s 10-bed Adult Detoxification Unit that helps adults safely navigate withdrawal from alcohol and drugs. The shared location will improve coordination of care, providing detox, observation and stabilization under one roof.

“We will have one building — The Recovery Place — where an adult who’s experiencing a behavioral health crisis can come through the door, be assessed, and get connected to the care they need, whether it’s detox or crisis observation and stabilization,” said DeWeese.

The Adult Crisis Stabilization Center is the second 24-hour crisis center opened by Johnson County Mental Health Center. In 2024, the Youth Crisis Stabilization Center opened at the Youth & Family Services Center in Olathe.

988 Suicide & Crisis lifeline adds call specialists, text and chat capability

As the demand for behavioral health services rises in Johnson County, so does call volume for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and Johnson County Mental Health Center’s local crisis line. In 2024, JCMHC received nearly 41,000 crisis calls through 988 and the local crisis line.

Thursday’s vote adds three call specialist positions to the 988 team, which also answers calls to JCMHC’s local crisis line. This will free up clinicians to focus on training, coaching, clinical support, and quality review instead of covering calls. These new positions will also allow JCMHC to answer text messages to 988 and online chats through 988lifeline.org, joining a network of other Kansas call centers in responding to Johnson County and Kansas residents who reach out for help using those forms of communication.

“Adding text and chat capabilities for our 988 team will help us improve responses in Johnson County and Kansas and provide support to even more people in our community, especially young people who may be more comfortable sending a text than making a phone call,” said DeWeese. “As we continue raising awareness about 988, it’s important for everyone in the community to know you can reach out to 988 at any time for any reason. You don’t have to be in crisis to call.”

If you need support, help is always available

If you or a loved one are struggling with your mental health, help is always available through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and Johnson County Mental Health Center’s local crisis line. A trained mental health professional will listen without judgment, provide support and help you find the resources you need.

• Call: 988 or 913-268-0156
• Text: 988
• Chat: 988lifeline.org/chat