May is National Mental Health Awareness Month and Governor Kim Reynolds recently signed a children’s mental health bill into law.

Part of House File 690 establishes a state board comprised of different departments with services that will be implemented by the different mental health regions. Greene County is a member of the Central Iowa Community Services (CICS) region and Coordinator Officer Betsy Stursma says some of the services in the new law they already have implemented, including medication management, therapy and some crisis services. She points out one service they will have to add is a crisis stabilization unit. It is a place where children can go for up to five days to de-escalate themselves from an intense mental health triggered situation.

“It’ll be somehow costly we anticipate just because it’s a, what we call a ‘firehouse model service,’ where whether it’s being used or not you have to have it available. Depending on what the usage is, it’s got to be there and exist so that when people do need it it’s available and ready to go.”

Greene County Disability Services Coordinator Ellen Ritter says the new law is something she is looking forward to in helping young ones in the county.

“‘It’s needed’ is definitely an understatement. I’m excited that we can get in there and provide services to children and try to get in there earlier than to rather wait and see it when they are adults. It’s been shown that the sooner you can treat a mental illness the better the outcome. So that’s definitely very exciting.”

Strusma adds that the administrative rules are expected to be completed within the next six months. April 1, 2020 is when all of the regions are to submit their plans to implement the new children’s mental health services. To hear more from Stursma and Ritter, listen to today’s Community State Bank in Paton Let’s Talk Greene County program.