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Governor's Mental Health Services Planning Council to Coordinate New Freedom Commission Recommendation: EXECUTIVE ORDER 04-10

Posted on: Sunday, 1 May 2005, 03:00 CDT

WHEREAS, the predecessor of the existing Governor's Mental Health Services Planning Council was established in 1986 in response to Public Law 99-660, and the Council itself was established as a part of Kansas' Mental Health Reform Act, K.S. A. 39-1601, et. seq, passed in 1990, and therein given responsibility to support the creation and expansion of comprehensive, community-based systems of care for adults with severe and persistent mental illness, and for children with serious emotional disturbance; and

WHEREAS, K.S.A. 39-1606 assigns responsibility to the Council to, among other duties, make appropriate recommendations to the State's mental health authority within the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, to serve as an advocate for adults with severe and persistent mental illness, and for children with serious emotional disturbance, and their families, and other persons with mental illness or emotional problems, and to monitor, review and evaluate the allocation and adequacy of mental health services provided within this State; and WHEREAS, Kansas has long been a pioneer in and model for the development of methods for improving mental health services delivery systems, and has demonstrated an inclusive approach for doing so through the development of a nationally recognized strategic planning process; and

WHEREAS, Kansas' mental health services are funded by and of interest to many different people, entities and departments within this State; and

WHEREAS, Kansas is committed to having a mental health services delivery system that is constantly involved in a process of improvement which is person-centered, performance-driven and evidence-based; and

WHEREAS, the citizens of Kansas will experience greater benefits from a mental health services delivery system that is well coordinated across the major life domains of employment, physical health care and education, is supportive of families, has a focus on early intervention for children and their families, and expands the ways in which it promotes recovery and resilience for adults; and

WHEREAS, there is currently an active base of consumers, providers, advocates and other citizens who have to date been involved in the strategic planning processes and who are invested in utilizing the President's New Freedom Commission's goals to further evaluate and improve the mental health services delivery system in Kansas;

NOW THEREFORE, pursuant to the authority vested in me as the Governor of the State of Kansas, I hereby designate the Governor's Mental Health Services Planning Council to be the coordinating body in Kansas for stakeholder efforts in utilization of the President's New Freedom Commission's recommendations, with the following purposes and charges: To serve as coordinator of recommendations which may be brought forth by stakeholders, consumers, mental health services providers and community services providers, and others, and based thereon, to make any appropriate recommendations to the Governor; and To work with the State's mental health authority, the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, as well as other of the State's departments, to improve and refine the State's Mental Health Strategic Plan, and to also develop strategies to improve the mental health services system across all systems and the State's departments.

This document shall be filed with the secretary of State as Executive Order No. 04-10 and shall become effective immediately.

Copyright Kansas State Nurses Association Apr 2005

Source: Kansas Nurse

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