MENTAL HEALTH
CRISIS CARE
Johnson County Mental Health Center is adding:
12 short-term crisis stabilization beds
+
14 medical detox beds
to provide rapid support for individuals experiencing acute mental health or substance use crises!
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The Recovery Place will relieve pressure on first responders, ERs, and law enforcement, and offer people in crisis a better, more compassionate option — one focused on stabilization and dignity, not punishment or delay.
This is what happens when a community stands together in sacred solidarity.
This is justice.
Our mental health campaign has come full circle!
The Recovery Place
11120 W 65th St
Shawnee, KS 66203
Here's the idea...
The best mental health crisis response is provided through a robust continuum that includes elements like a crisis stabilization center as the "recommended centerpiece."
Much of our proposal was informed by national best practices:
Roadmap to the Ideal Crisis Stystem:
(presented at the 2022 KS Mental Health Summit)
This is what we dreamed of at our VERY FIRST Nehemiah Action...
Back then, of the 6 largest counties in Kansas, only Johnson County didn't have
a crisis stabilization center of our own:
After presenting the data and stories
behind our proposal, Pastor Haynes asked
County Commissioners Janee Hanzlick, Becky Fast, and Shirley Allenbrand:
As we do before every direct action, Network leadership had met with the commissioners in advance and given them background on our proposal, as well as the exact question they would be asked.
"Will you work with key stakeholders to
craft a plan for a crisis stabilization center in Johnson County to be opened by May 2025?"
While we didn't get a straight answer or a crystal-clear "yes" commitment from the commissioners there that night, we knew that more was possible. We kept the faith, and we kept working.
Here's what it took to cross the finish line...
Summer 2022
We join the county workgroup
Three members of the Good Faith Network - Linda Seiner, Renee Loya, and Carol Weissenberger - ended up co-chairing the Crisis Continuum of Care Workgroup.
They produced a report which formalized the recommendation to create a "no wrong door" crisis center.
May 2023
We hold a second Nehemiah Action, asking again:
Given the recommendations of the Crisis Continuum of Care workgroup's report,
"Chairman Kelly, will you commit to placing an action item on a future board agenda to initiate the strategic planning for the appropriate expansion of crisis services in Johnson County?"
Summer 2023
We visit every hospital CEO in the county
We asked them, "How is it going in your emergency department?"
Not surprisingly, each one signed on to a letter of support for a Johnson County crisis stabilization center.
We added the voices of the business & healthcare community to our organized movement.
Of course, there were many other small steps along the way that helped keep the heat up and eventually melt the ice.
Hundreds of people shared personal stories of themselves or loved ones that could benefit from this community resource. Many spoke at County Commission meetings.
It took a widespread, grassroots movement to bring urgency to the issue and help our officials realize that change was possible!
On April 24, 2025, the Board of County Commissioners took the FINAL STEP and voted to approve funds to hire staff for the crisis stabilization unit.
Here are our public comments from that meeting: