Rainbow mental health facility earns ‘excellence in collaboration’ honor

by Mike Sherry, Heartland Health Monitor

A Kansas City area organization that serves area nonprofits has conferred its “excellence in collaboration” award on the Rainbow Mental Health Facility in Kansas City, Kan., for its work with the Kansas City, Kan., police department.

Nonprofit Connect said Thursday that the Rainbow facility will be one of nine honorees at its 32nd annual philanthropy awards luncheon, scheduled for May 20 at the Kansas City Marriott Downtown.

Once a 50-bed inpatient hospital operated by the state, Rainbow reopened two years ago with a 30-person capacity split equally between a short-term sobering area, an observation station designed for a maximum stay of 23 hours and a crisis-stabilization section for maximum stays of 10 days.

“Too often individuals with mental illness and substance abuse issues are placed in jail instead of receiving adequate treatment,” Nonprofit Connect said in its award announcement, citing Rainbow’s “great success” in providing crisis training for law enforcement officers and other services.

Nonprofit Connect offers education, resources and networking to help area nonprofit organizations achieve their missions. The philanthropy awards recognize individuals and organizations.

The nonprofit KHI News Service is an editorially independent initiative of the Kansas Health Institute and a partner in the Heartland Health Monitor reporting collaboration. All stories and photos may be republished at no cost with proper attribution and a link back to KHI.org when a story is reposted online.

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Program offered on simple seasonal meals

“Simple Seasonal Meals,” a program on growing and preparing your own food, will be offered from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 1, at the K-State Research and Extension office of Wyandotte County, 1216 N. 79th St., Kansas City, Kan. (west of K-mart).

The program will discuss fresh fruits and vegetables that you can buy or grow, and it will include recipe selections for the four seasons, as well as tips on purchasing and storing produce. The Master Food Volunteers will present the program.

A minimum fee of $5 will be for program materials and samples.

Those attending may bring their own lunch, and water will be provided. There will be limited seating.

Contact the K-State Extension Office, Wyandotte County, to register at 913-299-9300 or email Joe McLeland at [email protected]. The deadline for registration is Feb. 24.