Dr. Mike Dixon, Commissioner

State Hospitals Commissioner and Parsons State Hospital and Training Center (PSHTC) Superintendent Mike Dixon holds a Ph.D. in Community Clinical Psychology from Wichita State University and is a licensed psychologist.

 Dr. Dixon also serves as Program Director for the Kansas Sexual Predator Treatment Program at Larned State Hospital and has worked at PSHTC since 1987 in a variety of positions.

Since receiving his Ph.D. in 2005, Dr. Dixon has been a member of the adjunct faculty at Wichita State University. He has served as Director of Psychology at PSHTC and Chief Forensic Psychologist for KDADS, which oversees the four state hospitals.

 Dr. Dixon has also worked as a research assistant at the University of Kansas and as a licensed psychologist at the Labette Center for Mental Health Services. His research interests have focused on the suppression of deviant sexual behavior through the use of behavioral strategies and relapse prevention procedures for sexual offenders with an intellectual disability.

Melinda Gaul, Assistant Commissioner

Assistant Commissioner Melinda has been with KDADS since January 2023, managing the agency’s Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) Health Facilities and Program Expansion grant awards, supporting the Sedgwick County regional hospital project, and assisting on workforce development initiatives.

Before arriving at KDADS, Melinda served as Legislative Director for Speaker Ron Ryckman for six years.  She also has experience with state budgets as she served as chief of staff to both House appropriations and Senate Ways and Means chairpersons during her legislative staff tenure.  Melinda is a native Kansan and earned her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science (Summa Cum Laude) from Washburn University and Master’s degree in Political Science (American Government, Public Policy) from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

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What We Do

The State Hospitals Commission was created on June 2, 2019, by the Secretary of the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services. The State Hospital Commission is responsible for providing leadership, guidance, direction, oversight, training, and support to the five state hospitals:

• Kansas Neurological Institute.
• Parsons State Hospital and Training Center.
• Larned State Hospital.
• Osawatomie State Hospital.
• Adair Acute Care on Osawatomie State Hospital’s campus.

The Commission provides day-to-day management and collaboration with Superintendents and executive staff at the State Hospitals, ensuring compliance with conditions of participation for certification with Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) and accreditation with the Joint Commission. The Commission is vital in strengthening stakeholder relations to increase the services provided in the community for individuals with intellectual disabilities and or behavioral health needs.