County commission, KANZA continue discussion on Moser building renovation

Discussions continued Monday between the Jackson County Commission and KANZA Mental Health & Guidance Center representatives regarding the organization’s proposal to purchase and renovate the Moser building as a new office space in Holton. 

KANZA members are seeking the county’s support in applying for a Community Development Block Grant through the Kansas Department of Commerce.

In March, David Elsbury, KANZA CEO, discussed the possibility of renovating the Moser building for the organization since, he said, the KANZA’s current building on Idaho Street is too small.

 The total cost to renovate the Moser building is estimated at $732,832, plus additional funds would be needed to actually purchase the facility. With the county’s support, KANZA representatives are hoping to secure funding from a CDBG to cover up to 50 percent of the renovation cost. 

If KANZA received CDBG funds, they would be funneled through the county and allocated by a grant administrator.  

In April, the commissioners sent a letter to Elsbury with specific concerns they had about the amount of mental health services available to county residents, the possibility that the county’s annual allotment to KANZA would have to increase and several conflicts of interest among members of the KANZA board.

On Monday, Elsbury met with the commissioners to address those concerns. Also present were Virginia Freese, director of business operations; Margi Ross, clinical director; and Kent Saylor, KANZA board member.

Currently, the county allocates $64,000 annually in local tax funds to KANZA. The organization has provided mental health services to Brown, Doniphan, Jackson and Nemaha counties since 1963. The organization’s main office is located in Hiawatha, with additional offices in Holton, in Sabetha at the Sabetha Community Hospital, at the Pioneer Building in Seneca and in downtown Troy. 

During the commission meeting, Elsbury said that KANZA’s alcohol and drug counseling program ended March 2009 due to financial and state funding issues. However, the center’s clinical staff are qualified and provide behavioral health services to persons experiencing co-occurring disorders (alcohol and drugs, as well as mental health problems).

From January 2014 to May 2015, the center in Holton provided behavioral health services to 139 Jackson County residents. KANZA does contract with a licensed clinical social worker to conduct intake screenings by video from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. Sunday through Thursday at a cost of $100 a day. 

Elsbury said that screenings are part of a Kansas statute for community health centers as the “gatekeeper” to admission to the state’s two psychiatric hospitals, as well as the child alternative state psychiatric hospitals. 

It was noted that televideo screenings for patients, including inmates at the Jackson County jail, have been implemented by KANZA for three specific reasons. Elsbury said that during exit interviews for employees who quit, they all expressed the burden of being on call overnight and the amount of travel that was required by the job. 

In addition, when a therapist is called to do an emergency session in a different town, their regular appointments have to be canceled last minute. 

“When we cancel appointments, the no-show rate for that next appointment increases,” Elsbury said. 

Third, televideo screenings are used to improve response times to crisis screening requests. 

In their letter to KANZA, the commissioners expressed their concern that crisis services are housed and available only through the KANZA Hiawatha office. 

Elsbury said that crisis services are available in all of the counties but primarily originate at the Hiawatha office. He said it is not financially feasible to have a full-time crisis staff member in each county.

KANZA does not require someone in an emergency crisis to wait longer than one hour for an outpatient service or more than 48 hours for an urgent request. 

“KANZA has not discontinued providing services to persons within 24 to 48 hours when they present an emergent or urgent level,” he said. “This will always be our highest priority.”

Currently, the KANZA office in Holton is closed Wednesdays for a staff meeting that’s held in a different county. Elsbury said he’s planning to open that office on Wednesdays as soon as staffing will support it. Two new clinicians were hired in March and have begun working in Holton this week. 

Scott Foster, who owns the Moser building and Foster Ford, and Kent Saylor of Saylor Insurance and Morrill and Janes Bank serve on the KANZA board. KANZA does business with the bank, and the commissioners said they were concerned about a possible conflict of interest between the men and KANZA. 

Elsbury said the conflicts of interest have been discussed with KANZA’s audit firm. Board members with conflicts of interest refrain from participation in board discussions and actions and leave meetings when certain topics arise. KANZA also utilizes a bid process when purchasing vehicles.  

Elsbury said that KANZA is just asking for support for the CDBG proposal.

“We’re not asking for additional funds at this time. If services expand in the future, we might have to have that discussion,” Elsbury said, noting that when previous offices were moved to larger spaces in other counties, the service volume grew.

Commissioner Janet Zwonitzer said she understood.

“We’d be happy to pay more if we’re receiving additional services,” Zwonitzer said. 

The commissioners did not take any action on the issue Monday.