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Kansas’ shortage of behavioral health experts exacerbates community treatment challenges – Kansas Reflector

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Kansas’ shortage of behavioral health experts exacerbates community treatment challenges – Kansas Reflector


TOPEKA — Psychologist Shawna Wright stated solely 4 of the state’s 105 counties have sufficient behavioral well being professionals to fulfill calls for of the inhabitants, and that scarcity contributes to looping of mentally unwell folks out and in of the prison justice system.

“We’d like high quality behavioral well being care in Kansas no matter geography,” she stated. “We’re nonetheless very underserved.”

The Rural Well being Info Hub, a statistical useful resource funded by a federal grant, indicated the cluster of Johnson, Wyandotte, Douglas and Shawnee counties within the northeast a part of the state had enough personnel to serve neighborhood wants. In 2017, a part of Sedgwick County was lined. Now, all the county is taken into account underserved.

Wright, affiliate director of the College of Kansas Middle for Telemedicine and Telehealth, advised members on the two-day Kansas Psychological Well being Summit in Topeka that telemedicine had potential to enhance affected person entry to care, advance training of scholars and assist persevering with training of execs. Telemedicine shouldn’t be considered as a psychological well being panacea, she stated, as a result of it wouldn’t shortly change the workforce deficit.

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The summit was organized to give attention to judicial and neighborhood implications to the excessive proportion of psychological sickness amongst incarcerated people.

“Psychological sickness impacts all of our courtroom dockets,” stated Patti Tobias, a courtroom administration guide with the Nationwide Middle for State Courts. “It impacts all our communities. It impacts all our households. It impacts all our associates and neighbors. It’s pervasive and we have to do higher.”

Marc Bennett, district lawyer in Sedgwick County, stated stability within the life of somebody with continual psychological sickness was associated to remedy, housing and employment. The courtroom system might help with every of those elements by lowering the variety of folks with suspended Kansas driver’s licenses to allow them to work on these priorities, he stated.

As well as, he stated, the courtroom system might enhance outcomes by consolidating a person’s circumstances to at least one jurisdiction. Somebody with a psychological well being dysfunction will discover it tough to work with probation officers in a collection of cities or counties, he stated.

“Lots of people who’re in hassle are in hassle in a number of locations,” Bennett stated. “If you’re on probation in three, 4 or 5 totally different locations, you’re chance of being profitable goes to be extremely diminished.”

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Wyandotte County District Courtroom Choose Michael Russell stated the county’s post-sentencing behavioral well being courtroom confirmed promise with folks recognized with persistent psychological sickness.

The particular courtroom in Wyandotte County was established in 2017 and required collaboration with protection legal professionals, prosecutors, psychological well being therapists and substance abuse counselors, he stated.

“They’re thought-about to be excessive threat, excessive wants,” stated Russell, who stated neighborhood partnerships had been essential to success of specialty courts.

He stated the aim was to create particular person remedy plans for grownup residents of Wyandotte County positioned on probation. Profitable intervention by means of the particular courtroom can cut back time spent within the justice system, curtail recidivism and enhance public security, he stated.

State Rep. Brenda Landwehr, a Wichita Republican, stated she was optimistic the Kansas Senate would comply with the lead of the Kansas Home by approving a 988 suicide prevention hotline. One other aim is to broaden the variety of disaster intervention items that may be dispatched with info drawn from hotline calls, she stated.

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Kansas should do extra to extend the variety of psychological well being personnel working throughout the state, Landwehr stated. She stated the state hadn’t recovered from departure of the famend Menninger clinic from Topeka to Houston almost 20 years in the past.

“My aim is to place Kansas again on the map the place it belongs,” the lawmaker stated.

Wright, the psychologist with a background in rural service supply, stated cities and counties in Kansas ought to keep away from reinventing the wheel when striving to boost psychological well being providers. She stated the state’s experiment with inserting counselors in public faculties might be adopted to work within the justice system.

“If there’s a ardour and a want to maneuver ahead, it’s about taking a look at methods that work and tailor them to your personal neighborhood,” she stated.

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Kansas

Dense Fog Blankets Central Kansas

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Dense Fog Blankets Central Kansas


Dense fog reduced visibility to less than a quarter mile in parts of central, south central, and southeast Kansas on Saturday morning, December 28, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

Footage taken in Wichita by NWS meteorologist Kevin Darmofal shows his view of “another foggy start” to the day.

A dense fog advisory would remain in effect until 10 am CST, the NWS said.

“Low visibility could make driving conditions hazardous,” the weather service warned. “If driving, slow down, use your headlights, and leave plenty of distance ahead of you.” Credit: Kevin Darmofal/NWS Wichita via Storyful

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5 Chiefs Who Will Carry Kansas City to the Super Bowl

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5 Chiefs Who Will Carry Kansas City to the Super Bowl


The Chiefs look poised to make another deep playoff run en route to a potential third consecutive Super Bowl victory, having secured the No. 1 seed in the AFC with the ability to rest starters in Week 18 on top of the first-round postseason bye.

Guys like Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Chris Jones will obviously be the driving forces behind any major success over the next month, but there are a number of other players who will step up in a big way to help this organization reach immortality.

We all know the leaders, but who are some of the underrated Chiefs who are poised to guide Kansas City to another Lombardi?

It’s hard to call a three-time All-Pro an under-the-radar player, yet fans and national media alike still might not be aware of how special Joe Thuney has been. After another ho-hum season of perhaps the best guard play in the NFL, Thuney flipped over to left tackle, a position he does not play, and has been excellent.

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The 32-year-old only has one year left in his contract. However, no offensive lineman has been more important to the Chiefs. Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith are elite players, though Thuney moving over to left tackle helped resurrect Kansas City’s offense and save the season.

D.J. Humphries’ acquisition has proved to be a failure. He can’t get on the field and at this point, it’s far too risky to let him protect Mahomes. Wanya Morris and Kingsley Suamataia clearly can’t handle the role, so it feels likely that Thuney will remain the Chiefs’ left tackle throughout the playoff run.

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Ranking as the fourth-best offensive guard out of 129 players at Pro Football Focus, Thuney has been marvelous.

Considering next year is the last on his contract, there’s a strong argument to be made that Brett Veach needs to do everything in his power to extend the veteran. If Thuney keeps this level of play up, he’ll be remembered as one of the best offensive linemen in franchise history.





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2 arrested after stolen vehicle leads Kansas City Police on high-speed chase

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2 arrested after stolen vehicle leads Kansas City Police on high-speed chase


KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Two men who led police on a high-speed chase through Kansas City in a stolen vehicle have been charged in connection to another stolen vehicle.

Jackson County, Missouri, Circuit Court records indicate that Trevon Perkins, 27, and Demont M. Vandunk, have been charged in connection to the armed robbery of a Corvette from a Kansas City detailer and a high-speed chase that followed.

A probable cause statement filed by the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department revealed that just after 5 p.m. on Dec. 20, emergency crews were called to a local parking lot with reports of an armed robbery. When they arrived, they found a local detailer who reported he had been working on a Corvette when it was stolen.

The victim told law enforcement officials that two men, later identified as Perkins and Vandunk, drove up in a black 2018 Camaro before they threatened to shoot him as they took his wallet, keys and belongings.

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Investigators noted that Vandunk left the scene in the blue 2023 Corvette while Perkins returned to the Camaro and sped off. Later that night, the Camaro was spotted near E. 67th and Monroe Ave. However, when law enforcement officials attempted to pull the driver – Vandunk – over, he attempted to speed off and started a chase.

Law enforcement officials said they followed Vandunk and Perkins, who was in the passenger seat, down Meyer to Swope Pkwy. and onto Cleveland Ave. as they reached speeds of more than 100 mph. Vandunk lost control of the Camaro before it crashed into another vehicle near 40th and Cleveland.

KCPD said Vandunk and Perkins attempted to run but were quickly taken into custody. During the investigation, it was found that the Camaro had also been stolen out of Kansas City, Kansas. All of the property stolen in the earlier robbery was found and seized.

Vandunk was charged with accessory to robbery, armed criminal action and aggravated fleeing a stop. Perkins was charged with accessory to robbery and armed criminal action as a result. If convicted both could face up to life in prison.

As of Friday, Dec. 27, Perkins remains behind bars on a $75,000 bond. A bond review hearing has been scheduled for 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 31, with a preliminary hearing at 2 p.m. on Jan. 22.

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Vandunk remains behind bars on a $75,000 bond as well. A bond review hearing for him has been set for 10 a.m. on Tuesday with a preliminary hearing also at 2 p.m. on Jan. 22. No further information has been released.

Trevon Perkins, Demont Vandunk(Jackson County, Missouri, Detention Center)



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