Mental healthcare improvements move forward

     Addressing Iowa’s fragmented and ineffective mental health system is a multi-year process, and this week, the Senate showed that we are on our way to addressing it.

     On Wednesday, March 21, I voted for a bill that builds a more efficient, coordinated network of mental health treatment options around the state. HF 2456 ensures that treatment can be accessed in more ways and in more locations throughout Iowa.

     Iowa is split up into 14 Mental Health and Disability Services (MSDS) regions, each consisting of a cluster of counties. This bill adds more services the regions must provide and builds up existing services. These include:

     • Immediate short-term assessments for people who do not need inpatient psychiatric treatment.

     • An increased number of comprehensive, 24-hour facilities that coordinate care for individuals with severe mental illness.

     • Treatment teams that provide flexible help to those leaving an inpatient program and returning home.

     The bill also allows the regions to work with transportation companies to get patients where they need to go. Currently, ambulance services and law enforcement must do this, which is costly and hampers their ability to respond to other emergencies.

     Finally, the bill enhances communication between mental health professionals and law enforcement, allowing them to share information that could help prevent a tragedy or an accident.

     Building the foundation for a successful mental health system costs money, but the effort will lighten the financial burden on health care providers, law enforcement, our courts and many other areas. When mental illness isn’t dealt with proactively, it becomes much more costly—for patients and their families, for emergency rooms and hospitals, and for court services and law enforcement that intervene after a preventable act.

     Mental illness and substance abuse affect all of us, our families and our communities. By reducing harm and adequately addressing them, we can enhance rehabilitation, support families and save lives. Iowans deserve coordinated, efficient mental health services, and I’m proud to support a bill that helps us get there.