To the editor:

Sunday’s Journal-World featured another article in a years-long series about the costs and consequences of inadequate mental health services (“Rise in mental health emergencies makes local ER workers fear for their safety,” Oct. 2).

Most of the previous articles focused on the impact on law enforcement. This one covered the potential danger to nurses and other hospital staff who are called upon to treat mentally ill patients who may be unstable. All of the articles point to a continuing lack of capacity to effectively treat those with mental illness.

Expansion of KanCare, the state’s Medicaid program, would help address this issue. Expanding KanCare would provide health coverage to tens of thousands of mentally ill Kansans, allowing them to receive the services and medications they need and possibly head off violent incidents. Until coverage and payment for services are available, we will never have enough providers to treat this population.

The governor and Legislature have so far blocked efforts to expand KanCare. We’ll have an opportunity in the 2017 legislative session to make it happen. To be successful, it will require ordinary Kansans to make sure their voices are heard in Topeka.

It is here in Lawrence, and in other local communities around the state, where the costs and consequences of the lack of mental health services are felt and paid for.