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CCMH establishes advisory board

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PITTSBURG, Kan. — Crawford County Mental Health Center’s governing board announced Tuesday that it has established an advisory board “to incorporate meaningful participation of clients, family members, advocates, and passionate community members.” The advisory board was created as part of a $4 million Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) grant through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).  

The CCMH Advisory Board will meet monthly to discuss service design with program directors and staff of CCMHC. It will evaluate programs and services and provide feedback from the perspective of adult clients with mental illness or substance use disorder, adults in recovery from, family members of clients, advocates for mental health, and other community members passionate about mental health. The CCMH Advisory Board will assist the CCMH Governing Board and executive director in the delivery of services, programs, policies, and procedures to meet the needs of individuals, families, and communities served by CCMHC, the organization said in a press release. 

“This is an opportunity for us to serve our clients better. Having client and community input and feedback is integral to effective service design. We are excited for the opportunity to learn from clients and the community how we can better serve their needs and address any gaps that may exist,” said CCMHC Executive Director Heather Spaur.  

Members of the advisory board are to be representative of the individuals being served by the CCBHC in terms of demographic factors such as geographic area, race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, disability, age, and sexual orientation, and in terms of types of disorders. Members of the advisory board will also be representative of their communities in which the CCBHC’s service area is located and will be selected for their expertise in health services, community affairs, local government, finance and banking, legal affairs, trade unions, faith communities, commercial and industrial concerns, or social service agencies within the communities served. 

“Our advisory board is and will be instrumental in helping our agency meet community needs as we become a CCBHC,” said Clinical & CCBHC Director Amy Glines. “The board members come from diverse backgrounds and life experiences who give our administration insights into programming and the processes we develop. We are committed to quicker access to behavioral health and addiction services and fewer barriers to get into treatment. Our agency wants to reach populations we have not reached before. The Advisory Board will allow us to listen to feedback and provide opportunities for us to do things better.” 

Members of the CCMH Advisory Board appointed by the CCMH Governing Board include Robin Brock (president), Jessica Dell’Antonia, John “Matt” Derfelt, Corey “James” Robison, Chris Bakke, Carol Meza-Bakke, Kennan Kells, Sandra Cobos Schroder, Ray Brecheisen, Susan Russell, Susan West, and Jacquelyn Eighmy.  

“I feel very honored to be part of the Crawford County Mental Health Advisory Board,” said Eighmy. “It is full of passionate, caring, forward-thinking professionals who all have the same goal in mind: to keep Pittsburg healthy and happy.”  

Crawford County Mental Health Center, located in Pittsburg, has been serving the community’s mental health needs since 1961. For more information on CCMHC’s mental health and substance use services, visit www.crawfordmentalhealth.org or call 620-231-5130.