KSHB 41 reporter Lily O’Shea Becker covers Franklin and Douglas counties in Kansas. Share your story idea with Lily.
The director of behavioral health projects for Douglas County provided an overview of funding for projects in the 2025 budget for county commissioners last week in preparation for discussions for next year's budget to begin in July.
Bob Tryanski, director of behavioral health projects for Douglas County, said figuring out "the best way to sustain investment in services for people who are uninsured" is something he and others in the county will look at in 2026.
"How do we make sure that people are not shut off from the opportunity to recover because they don't have a payment source?" he asked.
In 2018, Douglas County voters approved a one-fourth-cent behavioral health sales tax. The county's 2025 budget combined that tax and property taxes into one fund — about $12.5 million annually — to support dozens of mental health and substance abuse services in the county.
“Housing is really a top priority, making progress on continuing to reduce our suicide mortality rate is a big priority, working together with our school districts in our community to reduce absenteeism," Tryanski said.
Tryanski said there's about 12 ongoing housing projects to increase the portfolio of available housing in the county.
Cardinal Housing Network is the latest to open.
In March, it opened 10 beds for Douglas County women who are in recovery from substance abuse disorders. Residents can stay for up to two years, and the network partners with an intensive outpatient treatment program to provide additional resources for residents.
RELATED | Founder dedicates new Lawrence transitional housing program to late brother, opens 10 beds
Prevention and reducing both substance use and overdose deaths are other priorities of the long-term behavioral health plan for Douglas County, Tryanski said. He said it's a collaborative approach of behavioral health partners across the county.
Resources such as Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center, DCCCA, Heartland Community Health Center, the Treatment and Recovery Center of Douglas County, the Cardinal Housing Network, and more contribute to the long-term plan.
"What we're really trying to do is create an integrated system of care that helps people to move away from chronic illness and chronic crisis towards what everybody's striving for, which is to be better, be healthier," Tryanski said.
He said the collaborative approach has been in the works for about six to seven years, and he's seen improvements, including a reduction in the number of people who visit an emergency room in Douglas County in the midst of a behavioral health crisis. Instead, they might access a 24/7 urgent care for behavioral health at the Treatment and Recovery Center of Douglas County in Lawrence.
—
