March 29, 2024

Collaborative solutions needed for mental health crisis

Wes Breckenridge

Newton

Mental illness impacts millions of Americans every year. Meanwhile, the resources available are limited and sometimes challenging to access. Gov. Terry Branstad made it even worse by shutting down two mental health facilities (Mount Pleasant and Clarinda).

With the decrease in mental health facilities and treatment resources it was great to see the Newton Daily News and Newton Police Department provide a venue for bringing mental illness awareness to our communities. This opens the door to more conversations and collaboration by service organizations locally.

Being a police officer, I see the impacts of mental illness first hand, and how individuals and service organizations struggle to locate and provide needed treatment and care. Law enforcement agencies find themselves with limited options when responding to stressful situations involving mental illness. I have responded to many calls where mentally ill individuals are acting out due to conditions and circumstances beyond their control. Unfortunately, some find themselves facing criminal charges instead of treatment options.

When seeking assistance from medical professionals, law enforcement and the mentally ill find themselves waiting in the emergency room for hours while medical staff attempts to locate an available treatment facility. The hours of waiting exacerbates the condition of the distressed individual, while expending law enforcement services that are not designed to provide medical care. In talking with several individuals suffering from mental illness, I learned that they often struggle getting needed approval for medications and treatment authorization. Another concern expressed is the lack of psychiatrists in the state of Iowa. Many people find themselves driving long distances to get treatment and psychiatric care.

We need to create incentives to bring more medical professionals to our communities to care for our citizens in need. In addition, there is an urgency to increase the number of mental health facilities. Bringing awareness to mental illness and identifying gaps in services through community conversations such as the one recently sponsored by the Newton Daily News and Newton Police Department will aid in combating the stigma and create collaborative solutions.

As a candidate for the Iowa House of Representatives I am committed to working with community members and professionals in developing solutions to improve mental health services. Iowa citizens who are caught in this situation deserve a joint effort from all of us to make sure they have access to treatments and medications that they need. Together, through our joint efforts, we can make this happen.