(Editor's note: a demonstration of the technical capability of the TelePsychiatry Network of Kansas will be previewed on March 4 beginning at 1 p.m. at the Mental Health Consortium, 112 SW 6th Avenue, Topeka. Kim Moore, president of the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund, and Connie Hubbell, commissioner of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities, will attend the demonstration and be available for questions.)

The largest tele-video system in the United States for the delivery of mental health services will be operational in Kansas by April.

Under a public/private project called The TelePsychiatry Network for Kansas, a total of 83 sites -- including the 30 licensed community mental health centers across the state -- will be linked together to offer mental health services through tele-video capabilities. The $1.1 million project is being funded equally by the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services and the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund, based in Hutchinson. The Telepsychiatry Network will be managed by the Mental Health Consortium, Topeka.

"This project will greatly expand our ability to bring mental health services directly to more rural areas of the state," said Connie Hubbell, commissioner of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities for SRS. "Tele-video is a proven method of reaching people in need with mental health services in their home communities."

Kim Moore, president of the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund, said the board of trustees for the fund saw a number of benefits coming from the tele-video system. The United Methodist Health Ministry Fund supports health-related projects with an emphasis in western Kansas.

Besides the improved access for people needing mental health services, Moore said the Telepsychiatry network would also help professionals in the mental health system have more time available for providing care. He also mentioned the benefit of bringing an entire system on-line across the state with all sharing equally in the new network.

"And in the long run, there will be a cost savings while at the same time providing better services," Moore said.

Besides the 30 licensed community mental health centers in Kansas, the TelePsychiatry Network for Kansas will also link the SRS Commission of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities, the Mental Health Consortium, which is the administrative service organization for the community mental health centers, and the state psychiatric hospitals.

Don Voth, president and CEO of the Consortium, said the tele-video project will greatly expand the availability and accessibility of mental health services to rural regions of Kansas. Services for children and the elderly will be greatly expanded statewide, as will consultation, training and emergency crisis intervention.

Telepsychiatry projects already in place at Horizons Community Mental Health Center with hook-ups in Hutchinson, Kingman, Anthony, Medicine Lodge and Pratt and at the Crawford County Community Mental Health Center in Pittsburg already have shown this method of bringing mental health services to people works well. These networks provided an understanding of the framework and structure needed for installation of the project statewide, Voth said.

Communities in Kansas that will be part of the TelePsychiatry network include:

Anthony, Arkansas City, Baxter Springs, Chanute, Coffeyville, Colby, Columbus, Concordia, El Dorado, Emporia, Fort Scott, Garden City, Garnett, Goodland, Great Bend, Greensburg, Hays, Hiawatha, Holton, Humboldt, Hutchinson, Independence, Iola, Junction City, Kansas City, Kingman, Larned, Lawrence, Leavenworth, Liberal, Manhattan, Marion, McPherson, Medicine Lodge, Mound City, Newton, Norton, Osawatomie, Osbone, Oskaloosa, Oswego, Ottawa, Paola, Parsons, Phillipsburg, Pittsburg, Pratt, Salina, Scott City, Topeka, Ulysses, Wellington, Wichita and Winfield.

Hardware and software purchases, training and installation have been coordinated through Americomp, Inc., Topeka. Telecommunications integration are being handled by Inacom.

For further information regarding this project, call Elaine Skoch, chief operations officer at the Mental Health Consortium, (785) 232-1196, ext. 102 or visit the Consortium website at www.ksmhc.org.

Page Last Updated: May 29, 2001