ALLEN COUNTY, Kan. — Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center representatives presented their 2026 budget request to Allen County Commissioners Tuesday. However, the discussion was not so much about their funding request as it was about services offered.
Chief Executive Officer Nathan Fawson said this focuses on three general areas. These include access to community based mental health and substance abuse disorder services, particularly for underserved populations; advancing integration of behavioral health and physical health care; and improving utilization of evidence-based practices on a more consistent basis. He also outlined some of the grants used to support the work they do.
SEKMHC also serves as a “safety net” health organization for a six-county area, and Dr. Doug Wright, their chief operating officer and psychologist, said mental health and physical health are related. “If you do a brain scan of somebody, the same parts of your brain that get activated when you have a physical pain like a cut on your arm is the same parts of your brain that get activated with emotional pain,” Dr. Wright said, the brain not distinguishing between the two.
An example of this is the number one killer of people in the US, heart disease, and the number one cause of that is stress, which Dr. Wright said is treated with good behavioral intervention and prevention.
A number of other people were on hand for this discussion, among then Richard Zahn, recently appointed as one of Allen County’s members on the SEKMHC board.
Road and Bridge Supervisor Jeremy Hopkins told Commissioners his crews are still dealing with washouts from recent heavy rainfall. Hopkins said he’s looking at hiring a couple of additional seasonal employees, one of whom would work on the asphalt crew and another on mowing and will be looking at leasing an additional tractor for that purpose.
He also discussed work planned for 1400 Road north of Iola, and a decision on how to proceed will probably come next week, as Commission chair Jerry Daniels was absent from this week’s meeting.
Public Works Director Mitch Garner said work should begin next week on a trench at the landfill including piping, liner and rock that will be used as part of a gas collection system that will tie into what they currently have there.
Emergency Management Director Jason Trego said the Kansas Division of Emergency Management has approved their revised Emergency Operations Plan. While this is normally a five-year plan, Trego said this is a three year plan as KDEM is trying to stagger plan updates more than they have been in order to spread out their workload more evenly. Up to now, about 3/4ths of plans were on the same time schedule, and they will now be spread out on a regional basis.
Commissioners also approved signing an assurance letter related to a grant obtained for storm sirens stating no federal funds will be spent for lobbying purposes. The Commission also approved a $1,500 dollar donation for Moran Day in September.
