TOPEKA – Secretary Laura Howard today announced that the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) has selected 17 community organizations to receive Kansas Community Suicide Prevention (KCSP) grants totaling $595,000. Each organization will receive $35,000 to implement evidence-based suicide prevention programs designed to reduce suicidal ideation, attempts, and deaths while building sustainable systems of support at both the local and state levels.

The KCSP initiative is part of KDADS’ ongoing effort to strengthen mental health resources across Kansas. It is made possible through Governor Laura Kelly’s allocation of $1.5 million in state general funds to KDADS’ Behavioral Health Services Commission in Fiscal Year 2023, specifically for suicide prevention initiatives. Since its inception, the KCSP program has helped expand and enhance community-based suicide prevention activities across the state.

“These grants empower local organizations to make meaningful, lasting change in their communities,” KDADS Prevention Program Manager Stephanie Rhinehart said. “By investing in local partnerships and evidence-based strategies, we’re building a stronger, more connected Kansas—one where individuals know help is available, hope is possible, and lives can be saved.”

The following 17 organizations have been awarded KCSP funding for Federal Fiscal Year 2026:

• Barber County United, Inc.
• Beacon for Hope Suicide Prevention
• Clay County Health Department (DBA Clay Counts Coalition)
• Crawford County Mental Health Center
• DCCCA, Inc.
• Iroquois Center for Human Development
• Jewell County Health Department
• Johnson County Mental Health Center
• KVC Behavioral Healthcare, Inc.
• Tri-Agency Intervention (DBA Liberal Area Coalition for Families)
• Overflow, LLC
• Prime Fit Youth Foundation
• Salud Más Bienestar
• The Guidance Center
• Thrive Allen County
• University of Kansas Medical Center Research Institute, Inc.
• Wichita State University

Through this initiative, KDADS will support grantees in developing comprehensive community prevention plans that include conducting local assessments, engaging community members, fostering social connectedness, and promoting long-term sustainability. Each organization will also collaborate with the Kansas Suicide Prevention Coalition to share resources, strategies, and best practices as they work to reduce suicide across the lifespan.