Guidance Center asks Atchison County to restore $60,000; outlines mobile crisis and co-responder options

The Guidance Center told the Atchison County Commission on April 21 that it is seeking restoration of county funding it historically received — a request the presenter described as roughly $60,000 — to support behavioral-health services in the county.

Stevie Durkin, chief executive officer of The Guidance Center, said the organization has expanded services available to Atchison County residents and is asking commissioners to consider restoring prior support so The Guidance Center can sustain local programs. “At a minimum what I would be requesting is restoration of that $60,000,” Durkin said.

Medical and program leaders described services in the county and partnerships with other providers. Dr. Will Warren, the center’s chief medical officer, said The Guidance Center has increased visits by Atchison County residents and has brought medication-assisted treatment (Suboxone) online locally; the center also offers esketamine (Spravato) as an option for some patients and is exploring adding transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in the future. Johnette Clark, clinic administrator, and Paul Sbodnik, chief financial officer, joined the presentation.

Jessica Heric, mobile crisis response supervisor, explained the mobile crisis model: a two-person team that provides community-based crisis stabilization and connects people to services. “We are at an 80% rate of diversion from hospitals and jails,” Heric said, describing nights and evenings as peak demand periods for the service. Durkin and staff said co-responder models (a mental-health clinician embedded with law enforcement dispatch) and mobile crisis teams operate differently but can be complementary.

Financial context: The Guidance Center staff said the organization operates a sizable local presence — reporting 83 employees in Atchison County in 2025 (27 full-time at the county facility) and organizational staffing of about 247 across sites. Paul Sbodnik said the center’s overall operating cost is roughly $6 million and emphasized that some crisis services remain grant-dependent; he and Durkin noted several county partners (Leavenworth County and Jefferson County) currently provide local support of different amounts and urged the commission to consider a sustainable funding approach rather than short-term grants.

Commissioners discussed possible next steps, including the county budgeting process and evaluating a co-responder arrangement in partnership with police and EMS. No funding decision was made at the meeting; commissioners asked staff to include budget-related discussions in upcoming workshops.