Central Kansas Mental Health Center
Central Kansas Mental Health Center (CKMHC) welcomes Roger Barnhart as the new director of crisis services.
Barnhart brings with him more than 25 years of experience in healthcare administration and five years as a hospital CEO and integrated care specialist.
Barnhart’s unique experience in developing major community collaborations for both rural and urban health care will be an asset for CKMHC’s service area, including the rural counties of Ottawa, Lincoln, Ellsworth, and Dickinson along with the city of Salina.
“Throughout my career I have observed how caring for the whole person creates better results for patients and their loved ones,” Barnhart stated. “I am excited to work with CKMHC and our community partners, providing that level of care for those experiencing a crisis in our region.”
The position of crisis director is a vital part of the Certified Community Behavioral Health Center (CCBHC) transition. In this role, Barnhart will oversee the expansion of crisis services, build stronger community collaborations, and implement CCBHC best practices to address health disparities.
Barnhart’s experience building integrative care systems will support the CCBHC transition. “This is a unique and exciting opportunity to bring community partners together to provide the best possible care,” he said.
“In caring for our community, true community health is so much more than health care. The community needs to come together to treat the mind, body, and spirit, all issues affecting a person’s well-being for holistic care,” Barnhart said. “We cannot effectively treat a person if they do not have stable housing, stable work, and access to physical health care or services like addiction treatment. Crisis are cyclical, and it takes the whole community to break that cycle.”
Barnhart was born and raised in rural Kansas. After spending 10 years at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, he worked as an administrator and CEO for rural hospitals and various care organizations throughout Kansas. He received his undergraduate degree in Business Communications from Fort Hays State University, and obtained a Masters of Healthcare Administration from Webster University in Kansas City. He holds a certificate as a Community Health Worker from Wichita State University, and is currently enrolled in the Community Health program at K-State.
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The mission of CKMHC is to make life better in our communities by providing excellent mental health services, education, and integrated care, which exceeds patients’ expectations. CKMHC is a nonprofit provider and delivers services based on medical necessity, regardless of age, race, color, national origin, disability or ability to pay. In addition to the main campus in Salina, satellite offices are located in Abilene, Ellsworth, Lincoln, and Minneapolis.
For more information on Central Kansas Mental Health Center or any of the organization’s services call 785-823-6322 or visit our website at www.ckmhc.org.