Much of the work of the Kansas Council is done by citizen volunteers that are members of subcommittees established to report and make recommendations to the Council. The work of these subcommittees has been vital to recommendations of multiple legislative commissions, including the Mental Health Modernization and Reform Committee.
Through the Council, these Subcommittee recommendations are reported to the Secretary of KDADS. The Council may also form special task forces to make recommendations.
Previous special task forces established under recommendation of the Secretary of KDADS included:
- The Adult Continuum of Care Task Force
- The Children’s Continuum of Care Task Force
Currently, the Council receives updates and recommendations from the following subcommittees:
- Children’s – Sandra Berg, chair
- Employment – Missy Bogart-Starkey, liaison
- Evidence-Based Practices – Lori Libel & Rachel Erpelding, co-chairs
- Housing & Homelessness – Simon Messmer, chair
- Justice-Involved Youth & Adults – Bill Persinger & Sherrie Vaughn, co-chairs
- Kansas Citizens Committee on Alcohol & Drug Abuse – Sara Jackson, chair
- Problem Gambling – Carol Spiker, liaison
- Prevention – Callie Dyer, chair
- Rural & Frontier – Audra Goldsmith, chair
- Service Members, Veterans, and Families – Kathy Shepard, chair
New subcommittees – representing the Aging population, Peers, and Tobacco Cessation – will begin convening in 2022.
If you are interested in participating in one of the subcommittees, please contact [email protected] and she will forward your information to the subcommittee chair.