A bill that passed in the Iowa House last week aims to bring more focus to accessibility of mental health services and treatments.

District 47 Representative Chip Baltimore says the bill covers several areas of mental health. One area is increasing short-term crisis care facilities to help individuals who may need services in a short time frame to get back on the road to recovery. It also covers accessing long-term care facilities, with the addition of paying through the Medicaid program. Other areas the bill covers include putting mental health decision-making back to mental health professionals and giving less burden to law enforcement to transport mental health patients.

Baltimore says he’s impressed with how well the bill was proposed and passed through the House.

“This was one that all of the groups came together and I can’t be prouder of Iowans working together to find ways to make our mental health system more efficient, more responsive (and) more effective to make sure that those Iowans in need of mental health services are getting the help that they need. This is a monumental bill for us to get passed.”

Baltimore is confident that the cumbersome bill will get through the Senate, but not without some possible changes, before it heads to the governor’s desk to be signed into law.