GET ME REWRITE: 24 years later, Iowa still struggles to provide mental health services to its residents

Iowa has 99 counties.

That was then:  New York Times, 5/30/1999

This is now:  Iowa Capital Dispatch, 1/26/2023

As the third week of the Iowa legislative session winds down, it seems that the urgency of the past few sessions to address mental health care in Iowa has faded. Many policymakers seem to feel that much work has been done in this space, and they are ready to move on to other priorities. 

In fairness, the Iowa Legislature and Gov. Kim Reynolds have passed a lot of legislation to improve mental health care including, but not limited to, passing the Complex Needs Mental Health Law in 2018, the Children’s Mental Health Law in 2019, and moving the funding stream from property taxes to the state budget. This took coordination, dedication, and collaboration, and it is appreciated. 

Has Iowa made strides in building mental health resources? Yes, absolutely. The difficult reality, however, is that the need for mental health services – particularly among young people — has blown past the progress we have made

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