At NAMI Iowa conference, officials discuss ways to address mental health crisis

(The Center Square) – Teamwork, proactive work, communication and avoiding duplicative services are essential for addressing the increase in mental health issues since the COVID-19 pandemic, Iowa public officials said in Iowa’s National Alliance on Mental Illness Iowa Annual Conference session.

Iowa Department of Human Services Director and Iowa Department of Public Health Interim Director Kelly Garcia said increases in mental health caseload started long before the pandemic began, but the public health crisis was a catalyst.

Iowa Department of Corrections Dr. Beth Skinner said isolation and social distancing have taken a toll, particularly on the incarcerated. Inmates could not have in-person visits from loved ones and were isolated, and 90% of the women in the state’s women’s prison are on a psychotropic medication. However, the pandemic has brought greater awareness around behavioral health, she said.

“More people, I believe, are willing to discuss how the pandemic has impacted their behavioral health,” she said.

Judge Patrick McElyea of the 7th Judicial District, who runs the Quad Cities’ area’s court’s mental health program, said the pandemic prompted them to explore telehealth.

He attributed the court’s expansion to cover all five counties in the district to its ability to provide a tablet program that includes individual and group therapy support throughout rural areas rather than focusing on the metropolitan areas.

Access and engagement have experienced increases, but there have also been many more committals and fewer places for people to stay, he said.

Iowa Rep. Ann Meyer, R-Fort Dodge, chair of the House of Representatives’ Human Resources said mental health is a substantial concern among her constituents and law enforcement members she’s spoken with. Homelessness has increased. Need for services has increased in the area, as have services.

“We want to attack the crisis before it gets to the point where we need to involve law enforcement or inpatient hospitalization,” she said.

Telehealth for mental health has its supporters and critics; nevertheless, it’s a method of addressing the issue, she said.

Lack of communication and understanding of sequencing of services agencies provide are gaps in the system, Skinner said.

She said it’s essential to avoid duplicating services, letting people “fall through the cracks,” and identifying funding gaps to ensure resources are properly organized.

“There’s a lot of money in our system, but sometimes it’s not in the right space,” Garcia said.

McElyea asked for consistent, year-over-year funding from the legislature to “give Iowans what they deserve.” Funding that ends in 2023, for example, isn’t going to help, he said.

“This is a public health issue, just like the pandemic was,” he said.

McElyea said he supports problem-solving courts and praised Clinton County Courthouse’s resource center, which lists all the services available to help with housing, health care, and other services.

“It’s a wall-length whiteboard that is completely full, and we wonder why people aren’t able to navigate the system,” he said. “I think more connection points for somebody to say, ‘OK, let’s stop that overlap. OK, let’s stop that waste.’ … I think we’ve all seen it for our entire careers being part of the system, but it’s just so difficult to figure out how to untangle that web.”

Meyer said she’s excited about the mental health courts and that legislators need to help people understand their purpose.

Meyer said her legislative priorities for next session include retention and recruitment of more mental health professionals, from therapists to physicians, to Iowa. Training in community colleges and high schools may be part of the solution to encourage students to join the industry.

“The high school kids – and middle school and elementary school – are receiving these services, so they can see how important they are in their lives,” Meyer said. “And so, hopefully, that can transition into entering the profession.”

She will also work to advance medical liability tort reform, she said.

“We are only one of the states around that don’t have a medical liability tort reform, and that really is a barrier,” she said.

Disclaimer: This content is distributed by The Center Square