Iowa Senate OK’s funding for mental health
State capitol of Iowa
DES MOINES – The Iowa Senate on Wednesday OK’d nearly $11.6 million in funding for counties to treat mental health patients.
The bill passed 44-5 in the Senate and passed in the House 58-42 on February 13th. Governor Terry Branstad now must sign the bill.
The compromise offers much less money than county officials wanted, but much more than state administrators and the governor had proposed, the Des Moines Register reported. “The money would help counties pay current costs for providing services to people with mental health problems. Iowa is in the midst of shifting such responsibilities and money away from counties and to the state and new regional authorities.”
LVS Report comment
March 14, 2013 at 10:10 am
About time. There are a lot of crazy druggers out there who need the help.
another brick in the mall Report comment
March 14, 2013 at 11:30 am
America is a country on drugs. It used to be half the country was addicted to tobacco. Now 25% are addicted to cigs. Over half the population drinks and more than the other half are on prescription narcotics at any one time. We are a nation of hard drug takers, cigs, pills and booze are what makes the world go round. Follow the money my children.
anonymous Report comment
March 14, 2013 at 1:08 pm
A lot of “druggies” are addicted to or take street drugs because they have never had the proper treatment for their issues. And there are a lot of “non druggies” who need help. Problem has been lack of funding for mental health physicians and centers for those needing in house treatment or a support system until they can be on their own. Drugs/addictin (including the most used and promoted being alcohol) are/is not always the “cause”. They are many more times the “effect”.
Katie Report comment
March 14, 2013 at 1:42 pm
@Anonymous: You are correct. It’s called self-medication for mental health problems or untreated chronic pain. I have had under-treated chronic pain for 30 years and it would be very easy to drink to dull the pain or to seek out more than my allowed amount of prescription drugs, but I choose not to. I know my life would spiral downward if I were to cross that line. It all comes down to the choices one makes. However, too many people cross the line and need help getting back across it because they end up in the gutter or in prison. We need to turn them back into productive individuals in our society, whether it be in prison rehab or private rehab.