High Plains Mental Health Center
A generous grant awarded in February by the Dane G. Hansen Foundation will support development of the region’s premier Crisis Intervention Center, a 24/7/365 facility that serves adults experiencing behavioral health crisis, regardless of their ability to pay for services. The CIC, owned and operated by High Plains Mental Health Center, is on track to open for patient services on May 4, 2026.
The $500,000 grant will support the final phase of project development, focusing specifically on safety and security features necessary to ensure a safe and supportive environment. The grant will also fund the purchase of two vans that will be specially equipped with security enhancements, allowing High Plains Mental Health Center to provide secure transport services in northwest Kansas and bring patients to the CIC as appropriate.
This contribution will create meaningful and lasting change and build a more resilient Northwest Kansas by filling critical gaps that currently exist in behavioral health crisis response, said Craig Poe, executive director of High Plains Mental Health Center.
“We are deeply grateful to the Hansen Foundation for their generous support in this vital endeavor. It means the world to our staff and to the clients and communities we serve,” Poe said. “There is no doubt this facility will save lives. It will change lives and keep families together. It will enable us to meet people where they’re at during some of the most difficult times in their lives, offering meaningful help, a renewed sense of hope, and the promise that no one has to suffer alone.”
The Dane G. Hansen Foundation, based in Logan, supports 26 northwest Kansas counties through grants, scholarships, and regional initiatives, such as housing, childcare, education and community development.
“The Hansen trustees recognized that this project would expand the needed capacity of mental health crisis intervention and ongoing care for the people in our region,” said Rhonda Goddard, chair of the Board of Trustees. “We were pleased to see the support already in place for the project and help to make the facility a reality for Northwest Kansas.”
A grand opening and ribbon cutting for the new CIC is planned for 1:30 p.m. April 30 at the new facility, 205 E. 7th Street. The event is planned in conjunction with the Hays Chamber of Commerce. An open house event will be from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on April 16 at the same location. The open house will be an informal, come-and-go opportunity for private and group tours. Tours of the CIC will not be publicly available after the facility is open and accepting referrals.
The CIC will serve patients ages 18 and older, and clients will not be directly billed for services provided. The state-of-the-art facility is located in a fully renovated wing of the Hadley Center in downtown Hays and will be initially licensed for 16 beds, plus social detoxification services. The CIC has physical capacity for up to 23 patient rooms.
Currently, individuals needing psychiatric hospitalization must travel long distances to access needed services. Patients often end up in jails or emergency rooms due to lack of appropriate facilities and unfortunately face long delays (days or even weeks) for a state hospital bed. This delay in medical treatment often negatively impacts the patients’ well-being and strains service capacity for rural law enforcement agencies and hospitals.
The CIC will accept voluntary patients, who choose to self-refer to the facility for treatment, and involuntary patients who are in law enforcement custody due to the severity of their symptoms.
This facility is the first of its kind in western Kansas, operating under a new type of licensure approved in the State of Kansas in 2024. Clients will not receive a bill for services provided at the CIC.
Construction and development are ongoing and High Plains Mental Health Center Endowment is actively fundraising to support this life-saving project. Total project costs are approximately $7 million. Partial funding has been secured to help offset those costs, but community support is urgently needed, Poe said. All donations are tax-deductible.
“We can’t do this without your help. Every donation helps make this center a reality for those who need our support,” Poe said. “Join us in creating a space where everyone can get the care they need in the most effective setting. Every single gift counts. Every dollar matters. Please help us build a more resilient Northwest Kansas community.”
For more information about the CIC or to give securely online, visit donatehighplains.com today. Contributions can be mailed to 208 E. 7th Street, Hays, KS 67601. For more information, contact Development Officer James Gerstner at 785-628-2871.
Donors of $500 or more will receive a plaque in their name on our mobile donor recognition wall, which travels to events throughout the state to maximize visibility and will ultimately find a permanent home inside the new CIC facility.
High Plains Mental Health Center is a licensed Community Mental Health Center and Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic dedicated to the aggressive pursuit of providing a comprehensive mental health program to the residents of Northwest Kansas. Embodied in this pursuit are fundamental principles of establishing quality services as close to home as possible, at an affordable fee, and delivered in the least disruptive manner available. Such services will offer a continuum of care so that treatment can be individualized, and our staff can respond quickly and compassionately to those reaching out to us.