Osawatomie State Hospital to accept voluntary admissions

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) – Kansas plans to lift a moratorium on voluntary admissions at Osawatomie State Hospital beginning on Jan. 3.

The hospital for adults with mental health issues stopped taking voluntary admissions in 2015 after receiving citations for not doing enough to help suicidal patients and routinely housing three patients in rooms meant for two because of space limitations.

The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services announced the change on Thursday.

As part of the plan, it created a new class of mental health providers called State Institutional Alternative, which will allow private psychiatric facilities to accept patients who have been approved for admission to state psychiatric hospitals.