Valeo and Family Services and Guidance Center become Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Two local mental health facilities will add a new certification on July 1.

The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) has given provisional approval for Valeo Behavioral Health Care and Family Service and Guidance Center (FSGC) to become Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC). Valeo and FSGC are two of nine clinics that will be certified this year. According to FSGC this certification will help bring funding to Topeka’s behavioral health clinics.

Kathy Mosher CEO of FSGC says that the certification will bring a lot of change to the way the facility is run. “It allows us to have a different kind of funding model, but it also requires us to provide more enhanced current practices,” said Mosher. “That combination is a wonderful combination for the families that we serve.”

CCBHC facilities must follow federal criteria. According to KDADS, Kansas program goals are to “increase access to community-based mental health and substance use disorder services (particularly in under-served communities), advance integration of behavioral health with physical health and improve utilization of evidence-based practices on a more consistent basis.”

CEO of Valeo, Bill Persinger, says that the new funding will improve how they serve the community. “It’ll be a new day for us because our funding from Medicaid will pay at cost, it will improve, and our current grants will stay in place,” said Persinger. “I just tell people we’re going to be a community mental health center, only stronger, better and faster.”

Mosher says, “Mental health care means a higher quality of life, a happy childhood and excellence in service.”

Valeo and FSGC are working together to foster a “warm hand-off” between youth counseling and independence. “Valeo and Family Service and Guidance are working very closely together. They focus on adult services and we focus on the kids and families,” said Mosher. “Together we’re going to be able to build warm hand-offs for when they need services from both.”

Persinger says the help the facilities give is for everyone and the support they receive from their partners at FSGC aides their mission. “People need to know that a full continuum of behavioral health care that is mental health services and alcohol and drug services are available for the lifespan of anybody of any age here in Shawnee county,” said Persinger. “We’re supported by our partners at Family Service and Guidance Center and we support them. We wouldn’t be here without our city, county and state leadership.”

FSGC celebrated their staff with a food truck and their clients with water bottles that said, “We appreciate you!”

Copyright 2023 WIBW. All rights reserved.