COMCARE
Community Crisis Center
The Community Crisis Center is your 24-hour resource for mental health assistance and suicide prevention. More than 70,000 calls are processed through the crisis hotline annually. In addition to telephone intervention, the Community Crisis Center provides face-to-face intervention services, including a mobile crisis unit.
When a client comes to the Community Crisis Center facility, clinical staff are available for intervention, crisis treatment planning and to provide referrals to other community resources. When appropriate, the client will see a medical provider to assess the need for medication.
Address:
635 N. Main St.
Wichita, KS 67203
Mobile Crisis Unit
The Mobile Crisis Unit is comprised of two staff – one master’s level therapist and one case manager. The goal of MCU is to provide emergency assessment when the individual is at risk for psychiatric hospitalization and is unable to come to the center for assessment. For more information about MCU availability or to make a request for MCU assessment, call the crisis hotline at 316-660-7500.
Crisis Intervention Team Trained Officers
The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) program is a community partnership of law enforcement, mental health and addiction professionals, individuals who live with mental illness and/or addiction disorders, their families, and other advocates. It is an innovative first-responder model of police-based crisis intervention training to help persons with mental disorders and/or addictions access medical treatment rather than place them in the criminal justice system due to illness-related behaviors. It also promotes officer safety and the safety of the individual in crisis.
Sedgwick County Integrated Care Team (ICT-1)
ICT-1 is a multidisciplinary, co-responder program aimed at providing resources to those in the community experiencing mental health crisis. The team is a collaborative effort between Sedgwick County and the City of Wichita and is comprised of a Qualified Mental Health Professional, a Law Enforcement Officer, and a Paramedic. They respond to emergent mental health crisis in the community, identified through the 9-1-1 system and the COMCARE Crisis system.
Sedgwick County Drug Court
The Drug Court is a specialty court with the responsibility to handle cases involving drug-using offenders though comprehensive supervision, drug testing, treatment services and immediate sanctions and incentives. It is a partnership with COMCARE, the Department of Corrections, the District Court, the Office of the District Attorney and the Sheriff’s Office. Effective court services and substance abuse treatment are combined to help abusers gain a new lifestyle through drug and alcohol recovery.
The Sedgwick County Drug Court Program began in 2008 and is the production of more than two decades of scientific research. There are 14 drug courts in Kansas. Using a non-adversarial approach, prosecution and defense attorneys promote public safety while protecting the due process rights of the people in the program. Abstinence is monitored by frequent, random alcohol and drug testing. Ongoing judicial interaction with each drug court participant is essential for accountability purposes.
It has been proven Drug Court significantly reduces drug use and crime at a substantial cost savings. The overarching goal of the Sedgwick County Drug Court Program is to provide an alternative probation program that assists addicts in attaining a lifetime recovery and promote a crime free and productive life.
Contact: DrugCourt@sedgwick.gov or (316) 660-1740.
Sedgwick County Detention Facility Mental Health Unit Pod
Persons impacted by mental illness at times illustrate behaviors that may lead to crisis situations involving law enforcement and possible incarceration. General holding pods in the Detention Facility may be excessively stimulating to the person in crisis leading to management difficulties.
The Mental Health Pod (both for men and women inmates) was introduced in our local Detention Facility to provide a highly structured environment staffed by Crisis Intervention Team trained officers. This setting allows more intensive supervision of individuals needing immediate assistance and helps lead to a more rapid de-escalation of behaviors.
A medical evaluation by clinic staff proceeds consideration for admission to the MH Pod. Full information is available on the Sedgwick County Detention Center website.
Sedgwick County Assisted Outpatient Treatment Program (AOT)
AOT (in Kansas known as “Court Ordered Outpatient Treatment) offers community-based outpatient mental health services under court order to individuals who demonstrate difficulty following prescribed treatment on a voluntary basis.
Its focus is prevention of de-compensation, hospitalization, incarceration or other negative outcomes of non-treatment. AOT is a collaborative program between the Sedgwick County District Court and COMCARE of Sedgwick County that follows the national model. It assists selected individuals who live with mental illness and are released from hospitalization to enter a court ordered program of intense therapeutic services tailored to the needs of the individual.
This involves a supervised treatment program, case management and a monthly court document that allows the judge and program team to monitor the person’s progress and to assure services are appropriate and adequate to maintain community living.
One of the unique elements of AOT involves its willingness to accept individuals who experience anosognosia, a neurological syndrome that indicates impaired or lack of awareness of illness. It has an anatomical basis and is caused by damage to the brain by the disease process. It’s believed to be the single largest reason why people living with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder do not take their medications. When taking medications, awareness of illness improves in some patients.
The AOT Program is currently on a pilot basis in Sedgwick County and selects a limited number of participants each year.
The City of Wichita Mental Health Court
The MH Court establishes a community based program that provides supervision and services to offenders living with mental illness through the cooperation of Municipal Court, prosecutors, law enforcement, mental health providers, and nonprofit service agencies. The purpose of this program is to improve access to services, promote participation in treatment, improve the quality of life of the defendant, decrease recidivism, increase community awareness, and promote safety of the offender and the community.
The number of persons with mental illness at the root of their offending behaviors has risen, and the criminal justice community is straining to keep up. A large percentage of cases filed in the City of Wichita Municipal Court are mental health related offenses.
The City of Wichita Municipal Court and COMCARE-Sedgwick County recognized the need to reduce recidivism and connect offenders to appropriate services. As a result, the City of Wichita Mental Health Court was created.
What is Mental Health Court?
Mental Health Court is a specialized docket designed to address the unique needs of offenders living with mental illness charged with criminal or traffic offenses. Mental Health Court will provide services to reduce recidivism, as well as reduce the number of days defendants spend in custody. Mental Health Court will serve offenders who are arrested and/or charged with violations of City of Wichita criminal and traffic codes, and whose mental illness contributes significantly to the behavior.
Who is Eligible for Mental Health Court?
- Anyone who has a diagnosed, severe mental illness and who has been charged with a misdemeanor offense
- Even those with prior convictions, are eligible
How Does it Work?
The Mental Health Court is an option in which the defendant can participate as an alternative to conventional sentencing. Upon successful completion, the probation will be terminated. All candidates must be assessed by the COMCARE – Sedgwick County Offender Assessment Program (SCOAP) and the Mental Health Court Team. The final decision for acceptance will be made by the Judge.
All participants must complete a minimum one-year program that includes:
- Treatment
- Regular court appearances
- Random drug testing
- Payment of all treatment and court fees
Contact: This program is a collaborative effort of the City of Wichita, COMCARE of Sedgwick County and the city’s Municipal Court at:
455 N. Main
Wichita, KS 67202
Phone: (316) 268-4582
www.wichita.gov