New members have been appointed to the Kansas Mental Health Services Planning Council. The recently restructured council reviews the need for mental health services and makes recommendations about mental health programs.

The make-up of the council was determined by Senate Bill 60, passed by the 1997 Legislature, responding to federal law outlining state mental health planning councils.

Rose Mary Mohr, president and chief executive officer of the Mental Health Association of South Central Kansas, has been appointed chair of the council.

Mohr said she thought the addition of more family members and individual consumers will be valuable to the work of the council. She said mental health services have reached an "important, pivotal point" regarding the role of consumers in designing programs.

Others appointed to the council are: Dr. Donald Brada, psychiatrist, Wichita; Jack Martin, Parsons, administrator for the Labette Center for Mental Health Services; Rick Pfeiffer, Pittsburg, director of the Community Mental Center of Crawford County; Donna Baker, Topeka; Mike Davis, Quenemo; Kimberly Ingram, Wichita; Angie Lawrence, West Mineral; Elizabeth Cunningham, Dodge City; Kim Holland, Lenexa; Randall Kitchen, Kansas City; Paul Sanchez, Wichita; Mary Goetze, Prairie Village; Nolan Howell, Great Bend; Connie Byers, Kingman; and Mary Rohleder, Hays.

There are also nine state representatives on the council: Dr. Hugh Sage, Topeka, Mental health and Developmental Disabilities, SRS; Jim Deister, Salina, Rehabilitation Services Commission, SRS; Andrew O'Donovan, Topeka, Alcohol & Drug Abuse Services, SRS; Fran Seymour-Hunter, Topeka, SRS Commission of Adult and Medical Services; Rick Dalky, Garden City, SRS Children and Family Services Commission; Harry Allen, Topeka, Juvenile Justice Authority; Mike Remus, Topeka, Kansas State Board of Education; Roger Werholtz, Topeka, Kansas Department of Corrections; and Randy Speaker, Topeka, Kansas Department of Commerce and Housing.

Page Last Updated: May 29, 2001