Address Information
222 SW 7th Street, Topeka, KS 66603
785-234-4773
A message from Kyle Kessler-Executive Director
I would like to thank you for taking the time to visit our site and for your interest in the Association, its membership, our work, and the critical issues in our state’s public mental health system.

I invite you to spend some time touring our web site and learning more about who we are, what we do, and where we are going as a system.  I also invite you to visit our office and the offices of our Community Mental Health Centers, where the critical work in providing services and supports takes place every day.

The Association of Community Mental Health Centers of Kansas Inc., advances the interest of CMHCs and the individuals they serve. Towards this end, the Association provides legislative representation, offers leadership and professional education, highlights model practices and programs, and identifies resources for addressing the challenges faced by local mental health authorities.

OUR TEAM

Kyle Kessler

Kyle Kessler

Executive Director

Michelle Ponce

Michelle Ponce

Associate Director

Kay Swietek

Kay Swietek

Office Manager

Heather Richardson

Member Services Manager

Sue Murnane

Youth Behavioral Health Services Manager

Andrea Diaz Buezo

Special Projects Coordinator

WHO WE ARE

The 26 licensed Community Health Centers (CMHCs) have a combined staff of over 4,500 providing mental health services in every county of the state in over 120 locations.  Together they form an integral part of the total mental health system in Kansas.

Our Primary Goal
The primary goal of CMHCs is to provide quality care, treatment and rehabilitation to individuals with mental health problems in the least restrictive environment.  The CMHCs provide services to all those needing it, regardless of economic level, age or type of illness.  The CMHCs strongly endorse treatment at the community level, in order to allow individuals to keep functioning in their own homes and communities, at a considerably reduced cost to them, third-party payers, and/or the taxpayer.

Accountability
The 26 licensed CMHCs operating in Kansas have a separate duly elected and/or appointed board of directors.  Each of these boards is accountable to the citizens served, county officials, the state legislature, and the Governor, and all have reporting responsibilities to the national level of government.

Shared Governance
Community Mental Health Centers are more than just another group of providers.  They are the county’s legally delegated authorities to manage mental health care in Kansas.  These CMHCs function as the local mental health authorities.  As such, the Kansas mental health system is a relationship of shared governance between two governmental entities – the state and the counties.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The Board of Directors elect, by majority vote, on a bi-annual basis, the officers of the corporation (Executive Committee).  They serve on the Executive Committee for a period of two years.  Terms of office commence on July 1st and terminate on June 30th of each election year.

Matt Atteberry, President
Labette Center for Mental Health Services

Kathy Mosher, President-Elect
Family Service and Guidance Center

Randy Callstrom, Past President
Wyandot Behavioral Health Network

Greg Hennen, Vice President
Four County Mental Health

Dr. Leslie Bjork, Secretary
Elizabeth Layton Center

Patrick Schmitz, Treasurer
Bert Nash Community Mental Health

Amanda Cunningham, Member At Large
Crosswinds Counseling and Wellness

VISION, MISSION and VALUES

Vision:
We envision that the statewide system of CMHCs will be a leader in developing healthy communities.  Working with local, state, and national partners, our system will deliver services that are recovery-focused, innovative, accessible, and driven by community, consumer, and family needs.

Mission:
Promote a fully resourced system that delivers efficient, effective, and accountable behavioral healthcare accessible to all Kansans through locally governed Community Mental Health Centers, subsidiaries and strategic partners.

Values:
Excellence in all facets of our work. We are public servants and must get quality results by leveraging and expanding our professional expertise. Our stakeholders and consumers expect us to be reliable, effective and efficient. We will pursue excellence by being progressive in our thinking and innovative in our services.

Forthrightness and accountability in all our relationships. We respect the human dignity of our consumers and the commitment of our stakeholders. We choose to trust and to be trustworthy, to communicate openly and honestly, and to hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards. We embrace accountability because we are committed to excellence.

Leadership and partnership. Our association serves its members and other stakeholders best by being a strong advocate for behavioral healthcare. We must be both a statewide leader that challenges the status quo and a partner working with others to pursue innovation.

Being results-oriented and driven by consumer needs. We work for positive treatment outcomes with direct input from the people we serve.

A statewide system based on a foundation of diverse, locally-governed and community-focused mental health centers.