By Mike Sherry
Hale Center for Journalism

ROELAND PARK — A Roeland Park-based substance abuse center announced Monday that its founder and chief executive officer will step down at the end of the year.
The nonprofit Heartland Regional Alcohol and Drug Assessment Center (RADAC) said Dalyn Schmitt would hand the reins to Jason Hess, who has been with the organization since 2001 and currently serves as executive director.

According to a news release, Schmitt founded Heartland RADAC in 1998.

The organization provides assessment and referral services, as well as care coordination and case management, for 76 Kansas counties, according to the release.

The organization also has been a key partner in the recent conversion and reopening of the Rainbow Mental Health Center, in Kansas City, Kan., as a crisis stabilization facility.

“I have been contemplating the right time to ‘pass the baton’ for some time,” Schmitt said in the release, “and my decision was ultimately determined by the strong state of the organization right now and my absolute confidence in Jason’s leadership and the strength of the management team he leads.”

The release said Schmitt planned to continue in her role as president of Heartland Consultation Inc., where she supervises independent contractors involved in crisis intervention.

Mike Sherry is a reporter for Heartland Health Monitor, a news collaboration focusing on health issues and their impact in Missouri and Kansas.