Comcare outlines crisis center move, warns staffing gaps and modest savings from vacated space

Chantelle Westbrook, executive director of Comcare, told the Sedgwick County Commission that Comcare is preparing to consolidate crisis services into a new crisis center targeted for March 2027 and that the change will centralize programs now spread across multiple sites.

"We have a really stable leadership team," Westbrook said, citing the agency’s longstanding crisis services and community partnerships, especially with the local Substance Abuse Assessment Center. She also flagged workforce challenges: "Our hardest to fill remains those integrated care specialists and our crisis staff," a function of difficult work and varied shifts.

The presenters said moving programs into the new facility will allow the county to eliminate duplicate space at the existing Scope Building; staff estimated a roughly $121,000 six-month savings in the transition year. Anna Meyerhoff Cole, the division’s human services director, summarized the division request and noted the package includes Comcare grants and revenue funds that cover program administration.

Commissioners welcomed the consolidation and the improved community collaboration. One commissioner thanked Comcare leadership for intentionally expanding partnerships with local providers and community organizations, saying the collaborative approach has been widely noticed.

Commissioners asked whether existing staff will transfer to the new facility or whether additional positions are needed. Westbrook and staff said an internal review is underway; they expect to ask for a small number of additional positions later in the year if an expanded crisis stabilization unit or observation unit is justified. They also warned about peripheral costs — including security and other unanticipated needs — that could require future requests to the commission.

The presentation emphasized continuity of care and coordination with the county’s 988 crisis line; leaders said they expect demand to grow as state and national crisis-response lines expand.