Changes at 2 Kansas Mental Health Facilities

Gov. Sam Brownback has announced changes to a mental health clinic in Kansas City, Kan., and the Osawatomie State Hospital.

The governor said Thursday that 111 positions previously located at the Rainbow Mental Health Facility in Kansas City, Kan., are being permanently moved to the Osawatomie hospital.

Rainbow Mental Health will become a 24/7 crisis stabilization center to help keep people with mental illnesses or substance abuse out of jails or hospitals. Rainbow has been a six-bed crisis care center since 2011, when 30 of its beds were moved to Osawatomie.

After some renovations, the center will open in April as a six-bed crisis observation unit for stays of less than a day and a 10-bed crisis stabilization unit for patients staying up to 10 days.