By Laura Spencer
Kansas City, Missouri – In Kansas and Missouri, consolidating mental health services and facilities has been viewed as one way to solve each state's deepening budget shortage. Before the end of the legislative session in Kansas, lawmakers created a commission to study closing some of that state's five hospitals that serve mentally ill and developmentally disabled patients. A recommendation is expected by December. But, in Missouri, two facilities in the Kansas City metropolitan area will shut their doors by the middle of June. Our series on budget cuts and mental health continues with a look at the potential impact of closing one acute care facility in St. Joseph.