Sedgwick County reviews grant applications and partnerships for youth and juvenile behavioral health services

County staff briefed the Board of County Commissioners on several Comcare mental-health items at an agenda meeting, including a proposed statement of work with an outside suicide-prevention organization and a KDOC grant application for behavioral health services at the juvenile detention center.

Tim, a Comcare staff member, described a proposed statement of work with Overflow, an organization that helps schools implement youth suicide-prevention programming. "Overflow is the organization that has helped Comcare introduce ... It's a teen suicide prevention program, and it's active in a number of school districts here within the county, Wichita, and multiple suburban school districts," Tim said. He characterized the program as effective at engaging students around mental health issues.

Staff also told commissioners they will consider an amendment to a 988 operational grant and that the county has drafted a KDOC grant application for just under $707,000 to support behavioral health services at the Sedgwick County Juvenile Detention Center. The KDOC item was presented as a grant application only; no award or matching requirement was reported during the agenda review.

Commissioners were not asked to take final action at the agenda review; staff said the items would be presented for formal consideration at the regular meeting and invited commissioners to raise questions before Wednesday.