Nathan Fawson, executive director of the Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center, went before Allen County Commissioners Tuesday morning asking for $153,588 for their 2020 budget.
Fawson said that it was a slight increase from last year, but they are doing more work within their six-county region, including services for school districts in Humboldt, Iola and Marmaton Valley and the upstart fees for such programs.
SEKMHC received a grant to provide a therapist in Humboldt Public Schools two years ago.
This allowed us to see that the need was greater than we first anticipated, Fawson said. Then we followed that up by providing a full-time therapist and case manager within the school district. That was met with so much success that schools in surrounding areas began knocking on our door as well. We then connected with the Iola an Marmaton Valley school districts.
The center will be working with nine school districts in the 2019-20 school year.
Fawson said they are in the planning stages of trying to secure a grant to run a similar program at Allen Community College after having discussions with the schools president John Masterson.
Commissioner Bruce Symes asked Fawson if the work they provide in schools has led to work with certain children in the home.
There are multiple benefits with us working in the schools, Fawson replied. We will meet with the child one-on-one in the schools behind closed doors, providing them confidential support and treatment within that therapy room. When that child is determined by the therapist to need support beyond therapy level, they will then make a referral to case management. Case management will then meet up with that child in a real-world setting at their homes after hours. That becomes a great support to the child and to the teachers. When children have their emotional needs met, they are going to be able to focus and learn better in school.
SEKMHC provides services for Woodson, Anderson, Linn, Bourbon and Neosho counties. Over 25 percent of SEKMHCs clients reside in Allen County.
PUBLIC WORKS director Mitch Garner said that workers for the Prairie Queen Wind Farm project should be out of the area by December. He said that all of the wind mills are up but some are in need of being calibrated and then recalibrated.
RICH MILLER of Waverly Lumber was on hand to sign a contract to build the new Allen County Volunteer Rural Fire Department Barn. The county should have the dirt work done by the end of the month, with Waverly hoping to begin construction on Sept. 1.
BIDS FOR the two new ambulance stations to be constructed in Humboldt and Moran were read, with the county receiving a total of five bids. Koehn Construction out of Fredonia came in $49,000 lower than the nearest competitor at $698,000. Humboldts Hofer and Hofer came in at $747,000, with HCC of Pittsburg and Decker out of Coffeyville both hovering around $758,000. Commissioners said they would mull it over the next week and try to make a decision at the next meeting.
Commissioner Bill King was upset that Waverly Builders did not receive a bid sheet. Jerry Daniels said everyone should have been aware of it because notices were put in all the surrounding newspapers. King said that he may not be able to reach a decision by next week.
