mental health

The number of adults with dementia is growing — and so is the number of family members who step in to help. A St. Louis-based nonprofit is trying to meet their needs.

Melissa Ferrer Civil found community, and a path toward better mental health, through poetry. Now, she’s spreading the good word.

Timothy Beckmann was arrested in late September but had not been convicted of any crimes yet. He was found dead Monday at the Jackson County Detention Center, months after being ordered into the custody of the Department of Mental Health.

The number of people waiting in jail to be transferred to state mental health facilities reached an all-time high in February. People are sometimes being incarcerated for longer than if they’d actually received the maximum sentence for the crime they were charged with.

In Independence, Missouri, an emergency response program called ARCH pairs social workers with paramedics to better address 911 calls. By focusing on specialized immediate care and long-term support, ARCH aims to meet people where they are — and free up police and fire services for other emergencies.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services appears poised to cut a $56 million annual grant program that pays for some of Missouri's overdose reversal medication and training.

Five years after the COVID-19 pandemic began, students around Kansas City still struggle with their mental health. A group of students at Guadalupe Centers High School share what they learned when they interviewed each other.

Students in the Kansas City area are grappling with keeping their grades up and losing friends after the COVID-19 pandemic upended their lives. A group of students at Guadalupe Centers High School spoke with their peers about how that impacts their mental health.

Casi uno de cada cinco padres que viven en la zona dijo a Children's Mercy Kansas City que la salud mental de su hijo era "regular" o "mala", y el 11% informó que su hijo se sentía "triste" o "sin esperanza". Los hospitales y centros de salud locales ahora intentan preparar a los padres para ayudar con el manejo de problemas de salud mental entre los jóvenes.

Nearly one in five parents in the area told Children's Mercy Kansas City their child’s mental health was "fair" or "poor," and 11% reported their child feeling "sad" or "hopeless." Local hospitals and health centers are now trying to prepare parents to help manage rising rates of mental health issues among youths.

Kansas City’s transgender community is sandwiched between two states where Republican-controlled legislatures have made limiting transgender health care and other rights a top priority. Families say the restrictions put their safety at risk.

Platte County residents are suing the three-member commission for failing to implement a quarter-cent sales tax that voters passed in November. The tax would fund youth mental health services, which are severely lacking in the county.