A Community Call to Action: Our Kids Are in Crisis
- Jun 8
- 2 min read
Updated: Jun 9
Right now, parents in Northeast Kansas are facing moments no family should ever have to face. When their child is in the middle of a mental health crisis, help is often far from home. With no local facility for emergency psychiatric care, families drive long, anxious miles - only to hear there are no available beds. Days or weeks can pass while a child suffers without urgent care. For some, that delay ends in tragedy.
The crisis is growing. Youth suicide deaths in Kansas have increased 63% in the past two decades, making suicide the second leading cause of death for Kansans aged 10–24. In Douglas County alone, more than 120 suicide attempts by youth were reported in just two years, and schools are identifying children as young as second grade at high risk for anxiety, withdrawal, or suicidal thoughts. Local emergency rooms see hundreds of children each year in psychiatric crisis, many of whom must be transferred out of the community for help.
This is the stark reality facing our community and why we must act now to ensure that no child has to wait for lifesaving care.
How We Will Help
That is why we are bringing the Judge Jean Shepherd Youth Recovery Center to Douglas County.
The Youth Recovery Center will be the first 24/7 youth crisis intervention center in Kansas dedicated to serving children and teens in acute behavioral health crisis while also expanding access to outpatient mental health services for youth in our community. These services will create a stronger continuum of care: immediate help in a crisis, followed by ongoing treatment, therapy, and family support that promotes lasting healing.
Whether a young person is experiencing suicidal thoughts, self-harm, severe anxiety, depression, or substance use challenges, they will have access to compassionate, expert care close to home. And when the immediate crisis has passed, families will be connected to expanded outpatient services that provide continued therapy, psychiatric support, and wraparound care to help children thrive.
Early Intervention. Lasting Prevention.
Respond to Needs
Provide immediate, around-the-clock crisis care for youth in acute distress, ensuring children receive timely support in a safe, healing environment designed specifically for them.
Restore Lives
Expand access to outpatient therapy, psychiatric care, and family-centered supports that help young people move beyond crisis toward healing, stability, and hope.
Build a Healthy Community
Create a stronger local system of care by expanding early intervention, reducing unnecessary hospitalizations, and helping more children receive support before a crisis becomes life-altering.
The Real Impact
Behind every statistic is a family fighting for hope. You'll find real-life stories of our local neighbors seeking help below.
