26 Jul Comprehensive Mental Health Services, Inc. (CMHS) Receives $48,305 Grant from Missouri Department of Transportation

Comprehensive Mental Health Services, Inc. (CMHS) was recently awarded a $48,305 grant from the Missouri Department of Transportation, Missouri Elderly Handicapped Transportation Assistance Program (MODOT MEHTAP) to support the driver salaries, benefits, mileage, vehicle maintenance, fuel, and insurance to support transportation operating expenses.

This program will provide 29,500 on-way passenger trips.  Transportation service trips will include: medical appointments, education services, employment services, essential shopping, social events, and mental health.

For older adults, public transportation is often insufficient, inappropriate, and at times unavailable.  Many CMHS clients have mental illnesses that affect their ability to cope with the complexities of public transportation’s schedules and transfer requirements.  For adults with mental health and substance use disorders, this can limit access to health care and increase existing health disparities.  Many clients can barely afford food, housing, and other necessities.  Often, even when other elderly people can afford transportation, they are no longer able to reliably operate a vehicle.  It is essential individuals with mental health or substance use disorders, as well as elderly people, have transportation supports that focus on their individual needs and circumstances.

CMHS serves elderly, mentally ill, and dually diagnosed (those with both a mental illness/disorder and a chemical addiction) individuals in Kansas City, Missouri, and eastern Jackson County.  CMHS provides a variety of services and treatment options to help clients meet their goals, including mental health evaluation and assessment, individual therapy, group therapy, case management, information and education services, and community support services (including transportation).