mental health

More than 1,000 Missourians traveled to the Capitol to attend Disability Rights Legislative Day. Lawmakers from both chambers have said they will try to restore $80.7 million in cuts proposed by Gov. Mike Kehoe.

The wind energy industry has slowed across the country, but some Kansas towns want to invest in it for economic growth. We’ll hear about the push for renewable energy in rural Kansas — and the obstacles it faces. Plus: Hear why support for 988, the national suicide and crisis hotline, is stronger in some states than in others.

There are 524 Missourians waiting for treatment and services from the Department of Mental Health. Of those, 446 are in jails throughout the state — incarcerated indefinitely without being convicted of their alleged crimes.

Since its launch in 2022, the national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline has responded to nearly 13 million calls. But many states have been slow to spend their own dollars on the program.

City Council restricted the sale of 7-OH, a derivative of kratom that’s marketed as an energy booster. Public and professional opinions remain split over purported health benefits, potential addiction risks and the ease with which minors can get ahold of the products.

Missouri Department of Mental Health Director Valerie Huhn told lawmakers that while the reductions would impact families, the spending reductions would preserve the state's ability to offer these services.

Missouri Mental Health Director Valerie Huhn told state lawmakers that the department and courts need options to get defendants treatment in their communities.

Suicide deaths crept up last year in Johnson County, Kansas, but officials warn the numbers are preliminary and don’t signify a trend. Public health authorities say they will adjust their efforts to focus more closely on access to guns, mental health care, and the social factors that might lead a person to take their own life.

Allergic reactions from alpha-gal syndrome can be dangerous to one's physical health — even deadly. But for hunters who deal with fur and blood, the tick-borne disease can also be a blow to their 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.