ELLY GRIMM

   • Leader & Times

Individuals with mental health conditions have a tough time finding employment and soon, Kansas will be a forerunner in helping with just that.

Thursday, Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) Secretary Laura Howard announced Kansas was selected as one of seven core states for fiscal year 2026 in the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) National Expansion of Employment Opportunities Network (NEON) initiative.

“This selection provides Kansas with 550 technical service hours from subject-matter experts, delivering intensive policy technical assistance and ongoing mentoring to support strategic efforts to increase employment opportunities for individuals with mental health conditions,” a release from the State of Kansas noted. “Through NEON, KDADS will advance key goals to improve employment outcomes for people with mental health conditions, including those with co-occurring disabilities. The initiative will strengthen cross-system coordination among state agencies – such as vocational rehabilitation, mental health services, developmental disability services, and workforce agencies – and foster sustainable systems change to promote evidence-based practices and data-driven decisions.”

Other leaders also praised the initiative.

“Being selected for NEON represents a tremendous opportunity for Kansas to break down barriers to employment and empower individuals with mental health conditions to achieve financial security and independence,” KDADS Behavioral Health Commissioner Drew Adkins noted in the State of Kansas release. “These service hours will provide us with the tools to enhance collaboration across systems and implement effective policies. The NEON initiative, launched by ODEP in 2019, focuses on expanding job opportunities and improving financial well-being for Americans with disabilities by promoting sustainable employment outcomes.”

“For too long, there have been numerous barriers to employment for people with mental health conditions, particularly those with mental illness. NEON will help states remove those barriers so more Americans with mental health conditions can succeed in competitive integrated employment,” Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Julie Hocker noted in the State of Kansas release.

Kansas joins Colorado, Kentucky, Maine, New York, Tennessee, and the District of Columbia as core states for this year’s program.

For more details on the NEON announcement, visit the U.S. Department of Labor Web site.