mental health

The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration canceled $2 billion in grants for mental health and addiction treatment, and then reversed itself almost immediately. "It's just constant whiplash," said the president of First Call KC.

The Trump administration sent hundreds of letters Tuesday terminating federal grants supporting mental health and drug addiction services. The cuts could total as much as $2 billion.

Missouri has approved three recovery high schools to open in Kansas City, St. Louis and Cape Girardeau. The schools will help support students with their recovery from substance use while they earn their high school degree.

As 2025 nears its end, we’re catching up on the biggest stories we reported this year. It was a hard year for federal workers in Kansas City, who weathered mass layoffs and the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. Hear how that impacted workers' jobs and mental health.

These state hospitals can’t find full-time staff. Contract nurses are needed to serve patients, but expenses keep going up.

Hundreds of Missourians are stuck in jail because they have been charged but not convicted of crimes, and were found incompetent to stand trial due to mental health disorders or cognitive disabilities. Now lawmakers are demanding solutions.

An effort is underway by President Donald Trump and cities like Kansas City, Kansas, to clear unhoused people from living in public spaces. But one Overland Park mental health expert fears homelessness will be criminalized — not addressing the root issue and costing more than providing adequate access to care.

Missourians narrowly passed Amendment 2 in 2024, which legalized sports betting in the state. As of December 1, people can now bet in person at casinos as well as through a variety of mobile apps like DraftKings or FanDuel.

The federal lawsuit argues that the state Department of Mental Health unconstitutionally delays required treatment for individuals who have been found incompetent to stand trial and does not meet legal deadlines for competency exams.

In their podcast "Adoption: The Making of Me," Louise Browne and Kansas City's Sarah Reinhardt share untold stories about the unique adversities faced by many adoptees.

Kansas City’s Wellness Court is partnering with a local yoga studio to offer a program called “Healing Justice.” It combines yoga, meditation, and cognitive behavioral therapy to reduce stress and recidivism among nonviolent offenders.

Missouri’s competency-to-stand-trial system has become so overloaded that even people accused of low-level crimes now wait years for effective treatment. Most defendants bide their time in county jails that sheriffs acknowledge aren’t equipped to meet mental health needs.