The Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center (SEKMHC) made its case to the Allen County Commission Tuesday morning, requesting $167,038 in funding for continued support of its growing network of mental health and substance abuse services. The presentation was led by SEKMHC CEO Nathan Fawson, who was joined by Chief Operating Officer Dr. Doug Wright and Chief Financial Officer Job Springer.
“Our focus is to summarize the various services we provide and speak to the growth in our mission,” said Fawson, noting SEKMHC’s role as a provider for six counties — Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, Linn, Neosho, and Woodson. “It’s our role to provide and advocate for the highest quality of care.”
Fawson detailed how SEKMHC has transformed its approach in recent years, largely thanks to a federal grant awarded in 2020 through the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The grant, part of the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) initiative, supports a new treatment and funding model aimed at expanding access to care in underserved communities.
The threefold mission of the grant, Fawson explained, was to increase access to community-based mental health and substance use services, integrate behavioral and physical healthcare, and ensure consistent use of evidence-based practices. “With this new funding, we were finally able to address the decades-long challenge of being severely understaffed due to underfunding,” he said.
WRIGHT offered a personal and professional perspective on the organization’s growth. A clinical psychologist who joined SEKMHC in 2000, Wright described how the number of therapists rose from 13 to 60 in recent years, allowing the center to meet growing demand in rural communities.
“In the 1980s, I saw firsthand how suicide devastated farm families during the crisis in western Kansas,” said Wright. “It shaped my passion for mental health. Now, we’re ensuring our rural communities get the same quality care you’d find in a big city.”
Wright highlighted initiatives such as SEKMHC’s expansion into 15 school districts, mobile crisis teams, and integrated care programs that coordinate mental and physical health treatment.
He also shared results from a pilot project with the University of Kansas, where a primary care clinic integrated behavioral health screenings into routine checkups. Forty percent of patients screened accepted a referral for mental health services, many of whom had never received care before.
“And why is that so important?” Wright asked. “Because research suggests that most people who commit suicide don’t see a behavioral health person before they do it. They see their primary care doctor. Up to 50% see a primary care doctor within that week before they commit suicide.”
The mental health center’s growth has been dramatic: staff numbers have climbed from just over 100 to more than 500 in five years, including 165 employees serving Allen County. Fawson stressed the center remains committed to serving individuals regardless of their ability to pay. “Helping those unable to help themselves will always be a focus of ours,” he said.
WHILE SEKMHC’s services have expanded, so has scrutiny over its executive compensation. Attention has recently turned to salaries reported in the organization’s 2023 IRS Form 990, which details compensation for nonprofit organizations.
Fawson received $436,133 in salary and $191,941 in benefits in 2023. The five other executive-level leaders at SEKMHC earned a combined $2.2 million, with individual compensation ranging from $276,555 to $444,282. Fawson is responsible for setting those salaries, though his own is determined by SEKMHC’s board of directors.
The compensation figures have fueled criticism, particularly as counties consider their contributions to the nonprofit. In a recent move, Anderson County commissioners voted to withhold $32,000 of their approved $94,000 contribution, citing concerns about executive pay.
County support remains a small portion of SEKMHC’s overall budget. Of its 2023 funding, roughly $26.6 million came from Medicaid, followed by revenue from the Ashley Clinic and its pharmacy in Chanute. The six counties collectively contributed about $550,000 — less than 1% of the center’s total budget. County contributions are determined based on the level of “charity care” SEKMHC provides in each county, and each commission appoints two board members to help guide the nonprofit’s operations.
The counties’ contributions help pay fees for those who lack health insurance or don’t qualify for Medicaid.
This year’s request of Allen County is the same as last year’s amount.
