Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe vetoed more than 200 budget line items on June 30, including cutting $15.6 million allocated for new youth behavioral health crisis centers in the state, at least temporarily halting an effort to bring such a center to Jefferson County.
Lori Arons of Imperial, Jefferson County Councilwoman for District 3, said she was disappointed to see that funding cut. Arons, along with Sue Curfman, senior vice president of regional corporate services for Compass Health, began a letter-writing campaign in April to garner support and establish a youth behavioral health crisis center in the county.
“I am saddened to share that Gov. Kehoe issued a line-item veto, removing the funding for the Jefferson County Youth Crisis Center,” she said in a July 2 post to her Facebook page. “While this outcome is deeply disappointing, I want you to know that our collective efforts were not in vain. We raised awareness, built momentum and sent a strong message: Jefferson County is united in its commitment to the mental health and well-being of our children and teens.”
In total, Kehoe vetoed nearly $300 million in general revenue items from the $50.8 billion 2026 state budget and put a hold on spending $211 million more, according to a written statement from his office.
“Just as the Trump administration is reining in federal spending, the state of Missouri must do the same,” Kehoe said. “While we do not have an economic problem in Missouri, we do have a spending problem in state government. By working with the General Assembly, our administration commits to the people of Missouri to get spending under control and support Missouri’s economic growth so that our fiscal outlook improves.”
County needs youth crisis center
A youth behavioral health crisis center would employ specialized staff adept at caring for youth experiencing mental health crises; assessing and managing youth risks, including self-harm or harm to others; developing care plans; and providing support and resources for the youths’ family or legal guardians.
The closest Compass Health Network YBHCC opened in 2024 at 111 Mexico Court in St. Peters. That center, which serves children ages 5-17, is open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., including holidays, according to the organization’s website.
Arons said a YBHCC is badly needed in the county to provide early prevention care for children.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 9.5 percent of high school students have attempted suicide in the past year and 50 percent of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by the age of 14.
Jefferson County has more than 51,000 youth under the age of 18, representing 22.3 percent of the county’s total population, according to the U.S. Census.
Arons said she will continue to advocate for youth mental health services in the county and will try again next year to get funding for a Jefferson County YBHCC included in the state budget.
KC Rafferty, director of community engagement for the Missouri Behavioral Health Council, thanked community stakeholders in a July 2 email for their continued support and also indicated the council would continue to request funding for more youth behavioral health crisis centers.
“Missouri has been very fortunate to enhance our crisis care continuum, and we will continue to advocate for the expansion of these much-needed crisis services in future years,” Rafferty said.