Patty Robertson, Program Liaison probertson@jacksoncountycares.org

 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Community Mental Health Fund Announces First Cohort of Community Grant Recipients
Funding will provide Jackson County residents with broader access to whole-person mental health services.
 
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, July 13, 2026
The 2026 recipients of the Community Mental Health Fund’s (CMHF) inaugural Community Grants include 18 agencies that offer mental health services ranging from trauma-informed music programs to support groups that promote mental health-related outcomes by addressing four social determinant focus areas: family, life, work, and aging. The grants provide one-year funding for mental health programs that support youth, adults, families, and older adults.

CMHF intentionally targeted smaller Jackson County agencies by streamlining the application process and capping existing agency revenue at $2 million. Most agencies that will receive Community Grants have annual revenue below $500,000 and 10 or fewer staff members. The funded agencies demonstrate efforts that align with the CMHF priorities to increase access to mental health services and improve the mental well-being of Jackson County residents.
 
CMHF’s new Community Grant agencies will complement its existing network of long-term partners that provide an array of pre-approved mental health services to meet the unique and varying needs of uninsured and underinsured Jackson County residents. Executive Director Theresa Reyes-Cummings commented on the expansion:
 
"As stewards of public tax funds supporting access to comprehensive mental health services, I appreciate the Board of Trustees' recognition that these services are provided by many agencies across Jackson County and its decision to expand funding to new community partners. Through the Community Grant initiative, the CMHF has added 18 new partners that will expand access to mental health services from Oak Grove to the Urban Core,” says Reyes-Cummings.
 
This addition represents another innovative initiative for the agency, which has managed the taxpayer-funded mental health levy since 1981 and through it supported equitable and quality mental health care for uninsured and underinsured county residents.
 
About Community Mental Health Fund
Our mission is to support a network of quality mental health services for persons with mental illness that are equitably accessible and responsive to the varied and unique needs of Jackson County residents.
 
Image caption:
The Hella Good Deeds Team, pictured here, represent one of 18 new Kansas City agencies offering whole-person mental health services that will receive 2026 Community Grant funding from the Community Mental Health Fund.