No set criteria exist yet to gauge whether or not a redesign of how Iowa delivers mental health treatment, which included the controversial closing of two mental health institutes June 30, will be as beneficial to Iowans as hoped, Gov. Terry Branstad said in an IowaWatch interview.
Underfunded, understaffed and riddled with gaps, Iowa’s mental health system is broken. Such is the dismal assessment of advocates, state and county officials and families who have sought care. Counties and state institutions have faced limited funding for years, and legislators are now beginning to