Candidates agree mental health should be a priority in Iowa
Newton Daily NewsDec 07, 2017
Numerous matrixes show the state ranks last nationwide in mental health care, and candidates laid the blame squarely at Reynolds' feet during Tuesday's forum, suggesting the state needs to do more to ensure quality care for Iowans struggling with mental health issues. Across the board candidates said they favored ending the privatization of Medicaid. A refusal to admit the state is facing serious issues is part of the problem, said Sen.
"The other real threat is simply mismanagement of our state's budget," Boulton said. "We are starving critical agencies and departments of the resources they need to provide services, I am tired of hearing we don't have the resources to put behind this problem, we do, we just haven't made it a priority."
Candidates from within her own party didn't shy away from taking Reynolds to task, with
"The state may have saved some money on that line item, but the people didn't disappear, they just got compressed," Corbett said.
Candidates offered some solutions at Tuesday night's forum, and while their points of view may differ, some, including
"Closing the two facilities was a really stupid decision," Neiderbach said. "There was no plan to meet that need."
Finding a way to keep those suffering from mental health issues out of the state's prison system is also a priority for candidates, with several citing studies that show more than half of the state's prison population is suffering from some sort of mental illness. Diversion programs, which would help Iowans struggling with mental health avoid jail time, would also provide costs savings as the state struggles to deal with a growing budget crisis, candidates claimed.
"When the state says they're saving money, they're not saving taxpayers any money,"
Also at issue for the candidates at Tuesday night's forum was the state's lack of a program to address the mental health needs of
"Leadership, that's what it takes, we have a state that doesn't have a plan," Norris said.
As governor, Boulton said he'd also favor increasing funding to the state's schools to provide teachers with the training they'd need to spot mental health issues in children. Honing in on funding for education has been a hallmark of Boulton's campaign, and on Tuesday night he continued to push to make it a priority for the state.
"Children who are struggling need to know it's OK to speak up, say something, and get the help they need," Boulton said.
For Corbett, children's mental health has been an important issue, and the
"When my mom was in her early 50s, she became addicted to crack cocaine. I was 32 years old, 33 years old and had to deal with that as a young adult," Corbett said. "... I wonder how I would have coped with it if I were 6, or 7 or 8."
Corbett wasn't the only candidate to get personal during the forum.
"I went on a long drive and ultimately decided not to, it was a very spiritual experience," Porter said.
While all 13 candidates were in agreement that the state needs to do a better job when it comes to addressing mental health issues, they often disagreed on the best approaches to meet the growing crisis in the state. In addition to creating space to house patients suffering from mental illnesses, the state also faces a shortage of qualified practitioners, particularly psychiatrists and psychologists. Many of the candidates said they'd support student loan forgiveness in order to encourage qualified professionals to relocate to the state, especially in
Candidate Dr.
"They go into this because they have a passion for helping patients, we need to make sure that they don't have crippling debt," McGuire said.
For Rep.
"I want to make sure that we're doing everything we can do to get individuals the help they need," Breckenridge said. "It's encouraging to see all these candidates here emphasizing that this should be a priority."
Breckenridge said he shares the candidate's frustration with Reynolds' leadership, disagreeing with the governor's rosy outlook on mental health services across the state.
"In our communities we see the struggle," Breckenridge said. "I wish she saw it like the people here do."
"We're very fortunate in
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