mental health services

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.

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.

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.

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.

From 2017 through 2023, roughly 2,680 people with developmental disabilities died under the care of the state of Missouri — on average, one person every day.

There are 418 Missourians across the state on a waiting list for a mental health bed, up from around 300 at this time last year. People are spending an average of 14 months in jail before receiving their court-ordered treatment.

Platte County voters will decide in November on a sales tax proposal that would help support mental health care for at-risk kids. Why is it needed, and what could it mean for the county if it passes?

The federal government debuted the 988 mental health crisis hotline in 2022. While Missouri answers more than 9 out of 10 calls, a report finds the state needs more follow-up care.

Children in the foster care system with severe behavioral health issues and trauma are often treated in group homes that specialize in individualized care. In at least two states, there is space at these centers for boys — but not for girls.

After a year-and-a-half investigation, the U.S. Department of Justice determined that Missourians suffering with mental illness are “subjected to unnecessary stays in nursing facilities, generally because of a series of systemic failures by the state.”