2016 News Releases

Gov. Jay Nixon today toured ongoing construction of the new Fulton State Mental Hospital with Andy Atkinson, who the Governor announced would be the hospital’s new Chief Operating Officer. Atkinson, a 10-year veteran at Fulton, replaces retired COO Marty Martin-Forman as leader of Missouri’s largest mental hospital, which is the site of the state’s only maximum-security psychiatric facility.

Originally built in 1851, Fulton State Hospital is the oldest state psychiatric hospital west of the Mississippi River. In 2014, the General Assembly backed Gov. Nixon’s plan for replacing the outdated and deteriorating maximum-security psychiatric facility with a new state-of-the-art mental hospital that will be safer and more conducive to modern treatment.Construction is scheduled to be completed in 2018.

“Andy has been an integral part of the DMH team for more than a decade, and his experience and leadership will serve Fulton State Hospital well as it embarks on a historic new chapter,” Gov. Nixon said. “The dedicated men and women at Fulton State Hospital do incredibly important and difficult work, and I greatly appreciate their continued service alongside Andy and his team.”

Atkinson has been at Fulton State Hospital for 10 years and was the facility’s Hospital Operations Specialist before becoming Chief Operating Officer. He is a registered nurse with masters’ degrees in health management and health information Management. Prior to working for the Missouri Department of Mental Health Atkinson managed inpatient psychiatric units in Missouri and South Carolina.

This summer, Gov. Nixon toured the completed new Energy Control Center (ECC) and Services Building at Fulton. Several other portions of the hospital project have been completed on time and on budget, including the demolition and abatement of several buildings within the west phase, completed earlier this year. In addition, new boilers have been installed at the Department of Elementary & Secondary Education’s School for the Deaf and the Department of Correction’s Cremer Building (previously serviced by the Fulton State Hospital boiler) after construction of the Guhleman and Hearnes Boiler Plant was completed in June 2016.

The last building to be demolished will be the maximum security Biggs Forensic Center after the patients have moved into the new facility. The Biggs and Guhleman Forensic Centers on the Fulton campus treat patients with serious mental illness who are committed by Missouri courts for evaluation and treatment related to a crime, or who have seriously assaulted patients or staff in our other state psychiatric hospitals. Biggs is the state’s only maximum security psychiatric facility. Since 2007, the facility has taken in more than 1,000 admissions from 99 Missouri counties and the City of St. Louis.

For the latest information on the Fulton State Mental Hospital construction, visit https://fultonrebuild.mo.gov/.

The newest Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Council, East Central, hosted its first 40-hour training for area law enforcement this week. The goal of the CIT training is to improve public safety across Missouri. It teaches officers how to approach and assist individuals who are in mental health crisis. Approximately 5,650 law enforcement personnel have now been trained in through CIT.

“Missouri officers trained in CIT have done an outstanding job of responding to situations and connecting individuals to the mental health assistance they need,” said Mark Stringer, Director of the Department of Mental Health. “The partnership between the mental health community and law enforcement has made a tremendous difference for many Missourians with mental illness who need treatment not jail time.”

In 2013, Gov. Nixon called for a series of fiscally responsible measures to improve the way Missouri cares for individuals whose mental illness is so severe that it makes them a threat to themselves or others. Working with members of the General Assembly, the Governor secured $10 million annually for the Strengthening Mental Health System Initiative in the budgets for FY 2014-2017. 

Two other new CIT Councils, Sikeston CIT and Northwest CIT, will host their first trainings in October. Sikeston CIT training will be held October 3-7, in Sikeston, and the Northwest CIT training is October 17-21, in Kirksville.

Additional CIT councils are in development across the state. For more information on the CIT training in Mexico, MO contact Major Matthew Schoo, East Central CIT Chairperson of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office at (573) 564-8084 or Detective Nicholas Tietsort, CIT Training Coordinator of the Audrain Sheriff’s Department at (573) 975-4061.

Gov. Jay Nixon today said that Missouri is among the top five states in the number of people trained in Mental Health First Aid and, among that group, leads in the percentage of the population trained. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a national program to teach the skills to respond to the signs of mental illness and substance use disorders.

“Mental illness affects thousands of Missourians, but these stories don’t have to end in tragedy,” said Gov. Nixon. “By investing in proven tools like Mental Health First Aid and expanding access to services through our mental health liaisons, we have taken great strides to make our communities safer, healthier and stronger.”

In 2013, Gov. Nixon called for a series of fiscally responsible measures to improve the way Missouri cares for individuals whose severe behavioral health conditions have gone untreated. Working with members of the General Assembly, the Governor secured $10 million annually for the Strengthening Mental Health Initiative. The initiative included:

• Thirty-one new mental health liaisons in community mental health centers around the state;
• New emergency room intervention teams in seven regions of the state, coordinating with 65 hospitals and health centers;
• Expanding the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) Family-to-Family and NAMI Basics programs with a special focus on families with youths and young adult children.
• Expanding access to Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) for law enforcement officers so that more are trained to intervene in mental health crises.
• Expand Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training to targeted groups that are likely to encounter people in mental health crises. Missouri now has more individuals trained in MHFA per capita than any other state in the country.

Of the top five states in terms of number of people who are MHFA-trained, Missouri leads on a per-capita basis:

Gov. Nixon has also led the effort to rebuild Fulton State Mental Hospital, the oldest state psychiatric hospital west of the Mississippi River, and replace it with a modern facility that is safer and more conducive to treatment.

Gov. Jay Nixon today toured the recently-constructed Energy Control Center (ECC) and Services Building at Fulton State Hospital. The structure is the first on campus to be completed and will house the ECC, Maintenance Shops, Emergency Command Center and Communications Hub, and Computer Information Services. Most notably, the ECC site also includes the Dietetic Services and Materials Management facility, which was previously housed in a deteriorating World War II-era building.

“Construction at the Fulton State Hospital campus is progressing steadily, and today was an exciting opportunity to tour the new facilities and view the development first-hand,” Gov. Nixon said. “The replacement of the outdated and dangerous facility was long overdue, and the new state-of-the-art mental hospital will provide safer conditions that are more conducive to modern treatment for generations to come.”

In 2014, the General Assembly backed the Governor’s plan for replacing the state’s outdated and deteriorating maximum-security psychiatric facility at Fulton with a new state-of-the-art mental hospital that will be safer and more conducive to modern treatment.

“The Office of Administration is incredibly proud of our state employees, project consultants, and contractors for undertaking a project of such magnitude,” Office of Administration Commissioner Doug Nelson said. “We are very pleased with the work we have seen thus far, and look forward to continuing this progress.”

In addition to the ECC Services Building, several portions of the Fulton State Hospital have been completed on time and on budget. Demolition and abatement of several buildings within the west phase was completed in 2016.

New boilers were installed at the Department of Elementary & Secondary Education’s School for the Deaf and the Department of Correction’s Cremer Building (previously serviced by the Fulton State Hospital boiler) after construction of the Guhleman and Hearnes Boiler Plant was completed in June 2016. The Fulton State Hospital project is scheduled to be complete in 2018. The last building to be demolished will be the maximum security Biggs Forensic Center after the patients have moved into the new facility.

Fulton State Hospital, built in 1851, is the oldest state psychiatric hospital west of the Mississippi River. The Biggs and Guhleman Forensic Centers on the campus treat patients with serious mental illness who are committed by Missouri courts for evaluation and treatment related to a crime, or who have seriously assaulted patients or staff in our other state psychiatric hospitals.

Biggs is the state’s only maximum security psychiatric facility. Since 2007, the facility has taken in more than 1,000 admissions from 99 Missouri counties and the City of St. Louis.

Following an address to the Missouri Department of Mental Health’s Spring Training summit, Gov. Jay Nixon today signed student safety legislation to help prevent cyber bullying and youth suicide.

“Every student should feel safe at school, and every teacher should have the resources and training needed to keep them safe,” Gov. Nixon said. “This is an important piece of legislation that can improve and save lives, and I appreciate the work of the Legislature to bring it to my desk.”

House Bill 1583 allows licensed educators, beginning in the 2017-2018 school year, to annually complete up to two hours of training or professional development in youth suicide awareness and prevention to satisfy a portion of the hours required for professional development.

This legislation also directs the State Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to develop guidelines and training materials on this issue, and to require each school district to have a policy in place by 2018 on youth suicide awareness and prevention. House Bill 1583 also clarifies the definition of bullying and includes the definition of cyber bullying in state statutes regarding schools’ anti-bullying policies.

Strengthening Missouri’s mental health system has been a top priority of Gov. Nixon’s administration.

In 2013, Gov. Nixon called for a series of fiscally responsible measures to improve the way Missouri cares for individuals whose severe behavioral health conditions have gone untreated. Working with members of the General Assembly, the Governor secured $10 million annually for the Strengthening Mental Health Initiative – an effort that will be expanded this year.

A cornerstone of this initiative was the placement of 31 community mental health liaisons (CMHLs) statewide to work with law enforcement and court personnel to connect people in behavioral health crises to treatment. To date, there have been more than 31,000 contacts between Community Mental Health Liaisons, law enforcement and the courts, with more than 18,000 referrals to mental health services.

The Strengthening Mental Health Initiative also included the placement of emergency room intervention teams in seven regions of the state, including coordination with 65 hospitals and health centers. Since their implementation, 3,302 individuals have been engaged in Emergency Room Enhancement services. Outcomes for individuals who have received services include a 56 percent decrease in ER visits and a 57 percent decrease in hospitalizations; a 62 percent decrease in homelessness; a 41 percent decrease in arrests; and a 99 percent increase in treatment program enrollment.

Last month, the Governor signed the Fiscal Year 2017 budget, which answers his call for historic investments in services for Missourians with developmental disabilities, mental illness and substance use disorders, increasing state and federal funding for the Department of Mental Health by more than $200 million. This includes:

• A 3 percent rate increase and rebasing for providers of services for Missourians with developmental disabilities, mental illness and substance use disorders.

• $1.6 million to expand the placement of emergency room intervention teams to additional regions;

• $18.2 million to expand access to Crisis Residential Services for individuals whose conditions have become so severe that they can no longer be cared for in their homes;

• $5.4 million for a new crisis prevention program to help low-income Missourians between the ages of 21 and 35 who have a severe mental illness or substance use disorders.

• $14 million to ensure that there continues to be no waiting list for in-home services for low-income Missourians with developmental disabilities, with a $14 million increase. When Gov. Nixon took office, many Missourians had to wait months or even years for the services they needed to live independently. Today, that waiting list has been eliminated.

In 2010, Gov. Nixon created the Partnership for Hope, which provides home- and community-based services to Missourians with developmental disabilities and their families. The Partnership for Hope, the first of its kind in the nation, is now helping more than 4,375 people with developmental disabilities in 103 counties and the City of St. Louis.

In 2010, Gov. Nixon also spearheaded the bipartisan effort to pass the law mandating the coverage of autism diagnosis and treatment. For the first time, insurance companies were required to cover one of the most highly effective types of therapy, Applied Behavioral Analysis, or ABA. While effective, the cost of ABA can exceed tens of thousands of dollars a year, making insurance coverage necessary for most families.

In 2015, United Cerebral Palsy ranked Missouri third in the nation – and second most-improved since 2007 – for providing quality services that improve the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.

Gov. Jay Nixon joined advocates and caregivers at Developmental Disability Services of Jackson County – eitas(empowering individuals through advocacy and support) today to sign House Bill 2010, the Fiscal Year 2017 budget for the Missouri Department of Mental Health. The budget includes historic investments in services for Missourians with developmental disabilities, mental illness and substance use disorders, increasing state and federal funding for the Department of Mental Health by more than $200 million.

“Working together, we have made Missouri a national leader in helping Missourians with developmental disabilities lead healthier, happier and more independent lives,” said Gov. Nixon. “This budget builds on these achievements and helps ensure Missourians with developmental disabilities have access to the high-quality services they need to live with independence and dignity.”

The budget passed by the General Assembly answers the Governor’s call to ensure that there continues to be no waiting list for in-home services for low-income Missourians with developmental disabilities, with a $14 million increase. When Gov. Nixon took office, many Missourians had to wait months or even years for the services they needed to live independently. Today, that waiting list has been eliminated.

In 2010, Gov. Nixon created the Partnership for Hope, which provides home- and community-based services to Missourians with developmental disabilities and their families. The Partnership for Hope, the first of its kind in the nation, is now helping more than 4,300 people with developmental disabilities in 103 counties and the City of St. Louis. Since 2010, the program has served a total of 466 individuals and families in Jackson County.

The FY2017 budget also includes a 3 percent rate increase and rebasing for providers of services for Missourians with developmental disabilities, mental illness and substance use disorders. The budget also provides an increase of $18.2 million to expand access to Crisis Residential Services for individuals whose conditions have become so severe that they can no longer be cared for in their homes.

In 2010, Gov. Nixon spearheaded the bipartisan effort to pass the law mandating the coverage of autism diagnosis and treatment. For the first time, insurance companies were required to cover one of the most highly effective types of therapy, Applied Behavioral Analysis, or ABA. While effective, the cost of ABA can exceed tens of thousands of dollars a year, making insurance coverage necessary for most families.

In 2015, United Cerebral Palsy ranked Missouri third in the nation – and second most-improved since 2007 – for providing quality services that improve the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.

Gov. Jay Nixon joined advocates and caregivers at the Developmental Disabilities Resource Board in St. Charles today to discuss historic investments in services for Missourians with developmental disabilities included in his Fiscal Year 2017 budget.

The Governor’s budget for Fiscal Year 2017, which he presented last week in his State of the State address, invests a total of $131 million in additional state and federal funding for the Department of Mental Health-Division of Developmental Disabilities. This includes an increase of $14 million to ensure that there is no waiting list for in-home Medicaid services for Missourians with developmental disabilities. The Governor’s budget also includes more than $73 million in state and federal funds for providers of these essential services, including a 3 percent rate increase and rebasing to ensure all providers are paid fairly.

“We believe all Missourians – including those with developmental disabilities – deserve the opportunity to live up to their God-given potential,” Gov. Nixon said. “From creating the Partnership for Hope to eliminating the waiting list for in-home services for low-income Missourians with developmental disabilities, we have made Missouri a nationally-recognized leader in caring for our most vulnerable citizens. This year we will build on this progress with needed investments that will benefit families and communities in every corner of our state.”

The Governor’s budget also includes $5 million to expand the Thompson Center for Autism in Columbia, $1 million to help launch an autism clinic at Truman State University and $500,000 to expand services at the Mercy Kids Autism Center in St. Louis and St. Charles counties.

“Gov. Nixon has been a steadfast advocate of Missourians with disabilities and we appreciate his leadership on these issues,” said Peg Capo, Executive Director of the St. Charles Developmental Disabilities Resource Board. “With these investments, the Governor continues to ensure that Missourians with disabilities and their families have the resources they need to live with dignity and independence.”

In 2010, Gov. Nixon created the Partnership for Hope, which provides home- and community-based services to Missourians with developmental disabilities and their families. The Partnership for Hope, the first of its kind in the nation, is now helping more than 4,100 people with developmental disabilities in 103 counties and the City of St. Louis.

The Governor also made it a priority to eliminate the waiting list for in-home services for low-income Missourians with developmental disabilities. When he took office, many Missourians had to wait years for the services they needed to live independently. Today, that waiting list has been eliminated.

In 2015, United Cerebral Palsy ranked Missouri third in the nation – and second most-improved since 2007 – for providing quality services that improve the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.

To learn more about the Partnership for Hope, visit the Missouri Department of Mental Health or click here for a video about the program.