Improving Mental Health in Iowa: Raecker Report 2/17

After months of public discussion and interim committee meetings, the House Human Resources Committee has begun work on three pieces of the legislation that will redesign Iowa’s mental health and disability services system.

The bill is a product of the Department of Human Services and Judicial Branch bipartisan workgroup that was tasked with addressing a number of issues related to the interaction of law enforcement, the Judicial Branch, and the mental health system.

The group put together a series of recommendations ranging from ongoing mental health and disability services training for law enforcement officers, the ability of residential care facilities to determine whether or not to accept people referred to them by the court, and clearing up conflicts within the law on which mental health professionals may be involved in the commitment process. 

The change that may have the most immediate impact relates to all pre-assessment screening for individuals considered for commitment. 

The screening is usually done at a local health care facility, like a hospital or mental health center.  Under current law, this screening is only allowed when the clerk of court office is closed.

This means a person going through the commitment process during work hours may have to go to one of the four mental health institutes (MHI) before anyone assesses their current condition and service needs.  Allowing the pre-commitment screening at any time will help reduce the number of long trips that sheriff departments must take to the MHI’s or psychiatric units.

The second bill is significant in length, but simply does one thing.  The bill strikes references in the Code to “mental retardation” and replaces that term with “intellectual disability”.  There has been a national push by a variety of disability advocate groups to make this term change.

The final bill is the main redesign of the current mental health delivery system in Iowa.  The bill follows many of the recommendations proposed by the Department of Human Services.  These include: transforming the management structure for mental health services from a county-based system to regions; changing the basis for determining financial responsibility from the rule of legal settlement to a determination of residency; and establishing core services that will be available throughout the entire state.

One new element in this bill is the issue of future funding for the system. 

Under the language passed in Senate File 209 last year, the current mental health levy is phased out at the end of FY 2013.  The statewide amount generated by the current levy is $125 million.  The House study bill will call for a four year phase out to begin in FY 2014, with the state providing dollar for dollar property tax relief.

Meet With Your Elected Officials

The Urbandale Chamber of Commerce partners with Senator Brad Zaun and me, along with officials representing the city, county and Urbandale schools, to offer several opportunities for public input.  This year we have four public forums set that will take place at the Chamber Office at 2900 Justin Drive, Suite L. Please join us on:

Saturday, Feb. 25 - 10:30 am to noon
Saturday, March 31 - 10:30 am to noon
Saturday, April 28 - 10:30 am to noon.