KHI

TOPEKA – To assess how well the mental health system in Kansas serves the population, policymakers can consider the need for mental health services as well as the capacity of the current system.

The Kansas Health Institute has prepared a report that provides a brief overview of the mental health system in Kansas, including who it serves, how much it costs, where services are provided, and what barriers prevent people from accessing care.

Key Points:

• Kansas expenditures for mental health have shifted from 82 percent in inpatient facilities and 18 percent in the community in 1990, to 25 percent in inpatient facilities and 75 percent in the community now.
• Capacity in state psychiatric hospitals has reduced from more than 1,000 beds in 1990, to 250 beds in 2016 (not including forensic beds, which are reserved for patients who have been charged with or have committed crimes).
• As of December 2016, there were 97 geographical mental health professional shortage areas (HPSA) identified in Kansas.
• In 2014, 19.6 percent of Kansans with disabilities did not visit a doctor due to cost.
• In 2014, there was one behavioral health provider per 550 Kansans (1:550). Behavioral health workforces are as high as 1:200 in Massachusetts to as low as 1:1,200 in Alabama. Nationally, workforces are 1:529.

Read the complete report here.

The Kansas Health Institute delivers credible information and research enabling policy leaders to make informed health policy decisions that enhance their effectiveness as champions for a healthier Kansas. The Kansas Health Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan health policy and research organization based in Topeka, established in 1995 with a multiyear grant from the Kansas Health Foundation.