Iowa mental health services will be overhauled under bill passed by lawmakers

Iowa's mental health and disability services are facing an overhaul under a plan state lawmakers passed Thursday.

The proposal, originally made by Gov. Kim Reynolds and now headed to her desk, aims to fix what state officials have called a "fractured" system of local districts that oversee a range of services. And it marks the latest step in Reynolds' years-long effort to restructure state government.

House File 2673 would merge 32 local regions charged with overseeing mental health and substance abuse treatment into seven unified districts; places disability services under the jurisdiction of the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services; and allows the state to appoint public or nonprofit entities to govern each of the seven districts.

"This is a great opportunity for the state of Iowa to see these two worlds merge, and to have a system statewide that I believe will benefit Iowans in some pretty dramatic ways," said Rep. Joel Fry, R-Osceola.

More: Iowa House passes Kim Reynolds' bill to overhaul mental health, disability services

The bill, amended earlier this week to bring it closer in line with Reynolds' original proposal, received wide bipartisan support in a 88-8 House vote. Eight Democrats voted against the legislation.

"Iowa has made significant progress in behavioral health care in recent years, from expanding adult services to establishing the first children’s mental health system and increasing funding," Reynolds said in a statement. "But more must be done to align services, making it easier for Iowans to get the help they need and for providers to better coordinate their care. This legislation takes the next step to strengthen the system by aligning services statewide.

"By combining Iowa’s 32 mental health and substance use regions into seven unified behavioral health districts, we can provide consistent services, coordinate care system wide, and, most importantly, improve outcomes for Iowans."

Under the new system, behavioral health districts would be charged with coordinating prevention services, early intervention and treatment, support services designed to avoid needing acute care or law enforcement, and crisis services focused on de-escalation, among others.

Each of the new districts will be governed by a state-appointed entity — either a public or private nonprofit group — and advised by a 10-person council of elected officials, local constituents, health professionals and law enforcement.

Some advocates have expressed concerned that key services and programs — including one that links mental health services with police, where crisis intervention experts step in to respond to mental health-related calls, rather than law enforcement officers alone — could be disrupted as the system transitions.

More: Kim Reynolds has released her plan to restructure Iowa's mental health systems. Here's what it says

House sends bill for opioid settlement grants back to Senate

In addition, the House unanimously approved an amended bill to create an application process and eventually distribute grant money from the multi-million dollar settlement with opioid manufacturers.

Senate File 2395, which was sent back to the Senate on a 96-0 vote, sets out a grant process for money to be distributed through DHSS and the attorney general's office for treatment and prevention efforts to combat addiction.

"We're sending money out the door … and we're also making sure that the money for the future legislatures is there to help future Iowans who may also have this addiction," Fry said.

Democrats have previously urged the Republican-led legislature to act on the money and send it out the door. Rep. Chuck Isenhart, D-Dubuque, said he had been "very critical" of decision-making on the issue but was "very pleased" to see it moving forward.

The legislation now goes to the Senate; Fry urged members to "talk to your senators and urge them to move this bill."

Galen Bacharier covers the statehouse & politics for the Register. Reach him at gbacharier@registermedia.com or (573) 219-7440, and follow him on Twitter @galenbacharier.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa mental health, disability service overhaul passed by lawmakers