Kansas Consumer Advisory Council for Adult Mental Health

09/19/2026

The Kansas Consumer Advisory Council for Adult Mental Health is excited to be represented here at Recovery Idol again this year!

09/19/2026

🌻 The message is clear - Hope lives in Kansas! 🌻

The Kansas Su***de Prevention Coalition asked attendees at the Kansas State Fair to share: What brings you hope? People had plenty to say! The Kansas Consumer Advisory Council for Adult Mental Health was excited to be represented at the KSPC table today supporting the coalition's work. If you're heading to the fair, be sure to stop by and add your answer. If you can't make it in person, share in the comments: What gives you hope?

09/04/2026

Your voice is needed! 📣

The Kansas Consumer Advisory Council is inviting Kansans and valued stakeholders to participate in the 2026 Statewide Needs Assessment. The assessment will examine:

• Access to peer support
• Workforce sustainability
• Consumer Run Organization capacity
• Equity and representation
• System accountability
• Data and measurement practices

Your feedback will help inform policy recommendations, funding priorities, and strategic action to improve peer support and recovery systems statewide.

Responses are confidential and anonymous. Findings will be shared publicly to help drive meaningful improvements in Kansas peer support and recovery services.

Share your voice through the Needs Assessment Survey:
https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=EPG8nTEWuUG0YM5L7OnzSCPLGUYtJ8pEjhUV3UPDqARUN1I5M1M4T0E5NTMyMDE5WExaVkhKSTAyQS4u

You can also participate by registering for the Online Town Hall:
https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=EPG8nTEWuUG0YM5L7OnzSCPLGUYtJ8pEjhUV3UPDqARUMERCOFhFMDVNMzYwRVJIUktSMTVaN0RaRy4u

Please share these links with others in your network. Every perspective helps us better understand what Kansans need.

For accommodations, contact [email protected] or (913) 249-7906.

09/04/2026

Su***de Prevention starts with all of us. Together we can create communities where people feel seen, supported and connected. Learn more: samhsa.gov/mental-health/suicidal-behavior/prevention

09/04/2026

Recovery housing is more than a roof overhead. It provides a safe, supportive environment where people can build stability, connect with peers, and access services that strengthen long-term recovery.

07/30/2026

While our conference plaques took a little extra time to arrive, presenting them in person made the moment even more special! 💛

As part of our 'Bridging Generations: Every Piece Counts' theme, we are so deeply honored to celebrate some incredible champions of mental health advocacy and recovery in Kansas.

Innovative Program Award
🏆 Wayfinder Point is the recipient of the Innovative Program Award, celebrating a cutting-edge, model program originated right here in Kansas that truly transforms how we support individuals in engaging with their recovery. Wayfinder Point is operated by Compass Behavioral Health in Dodge City, Kansas. It was started in 2024 and since then they have helped hundreds of individuals experiencing mental health crises achieve stabilization and deter from state hospitalization. Wayfinder Point has established partnerships with Oxford Houses that allow individuals who may be expelled to have a safe supportive environment to maintain recovery as they look for opportunities to re-enter a sober living home. They also work with their local jail and state hospitals with their respite program by providing individuals a safe place as they transition back into a community setting.

Chamberlain-Rapp Exemplary Leadership Award
🏆Richard Humphrey is the recipient of the Chamberlain-Rapp Exemplary Leadership Award. This honor recognizes a Kansas mental health provider who exhibits outstanding leadership, selfless service, and a steadfast commitment to the recovery movement on behalf of our community members. Richard currently serves as Region 4 (Southwest Kansas) Representative on the Kansas CAC Board of Directors and is the CSS Program Supervisor at Compass Behavioral Health in Garden City, Kansas, where he oversees the peer support program, group services, and a team of mental health assistants. His work reflects his deep commitment to service, guidance, and community support. He has been married for 25 years and values family as a central part of his life. Richard’s combined experience in leadership, ministry, and mental health allows him to foster supportive environments where individuals and teams can thrive.

Thank you to our recipients for your inspiring dedication, your passion, and for showing up for Kansans every single day. Every piece counts, and your work lights the way forward. Please join us in congratulating our award recipients! 🎉🧩

Be sure to stay tuned as we continue to post our award presentations!

07/23/2026

We are heading into some intense heat over the next few days here in Kansas so please stay safe!

🥵Did you know that extreme heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the US and in Kansas?
Heat-related illnesses include heat rash, sunburn, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

☀️☀️PREVENT heat-related illness:
💧Stay hydrated. Drink fluids before you feel thirsty and check your urine – if it's dark you need to drink more fluids. Avoid dehydrating fluids like alcohol, coffee and sugary drinks.
🆒 Stay in air-conditioned spaces as much as possible.
🏃‍♂️‍➡️Pace outdoor physical activity and schedule heavy labor or exercise early morning or evening, if possible.
🍉Eat lighter meals.
👵🏽Check on the vulnerable, e.g., the elderly, the very young, the disabled and the unhoused.
🧴Prevent sunburn.
🚘Never leave anyone in cars.

⭕⭕SYMPTOMS of heat-related illness include:
😵‍💫Feeling faint and dizzy.
🥴Headache.
🤮Nausea and vomiting.
😥Heavy sweating, or no sweating.
😣Muscle cramps.

🩺🩺FIRST AID for heat exhaustion and heat stroke:
🌳Move to a cool and shaded area.
👚Remove as much clothing as possible.
💧Drink liquids if able. Don't give liquids to someone if they are confused.
🌡️Cool quickly by:
💦Bathing in cold water or ice if available.
🫗 Wetting the skin and clothing.
🧊Putting cold, wet cloths and/or ice on head, neck, armpits and groin.
🍃Circulating air.
🔴🚨🚑HEAT STROKE IS A MEDICAL EMERGENCY – CALL 911🚨🚑🔴

Heat-related illness: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/heat-stress/about/illnesses.html

What to look for: https://www.cdc.gov/heat-health/about/index.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fextreme-heat%2Fabout%2Findex.html

07/22/2026

What do we mean when we say rural/frontier?

This video is just a very small snapshot of what it means to live in a rural/frontier part of Kansas. In addition to what you see in the video, it doesn't show the miles and miles on either side of the road of open land. Driving for hours in vast areas like this to get to the closest larger community for access to valuable care and resources is a reality for many Kansans!

07/21/2026

Highlighting a new community resource in Medicine Lodge
Crisis Caboose, located at Highway 160 & Main Street

07/18/2026

The Weekend Whimsy Hunt has begun.

Find any 8 before Monday.

Photos are encouraged.
Stories are encouraged.
Rock introductions are strongly encouraged.

🤎