[NYAPRS Enews] Iowa Mental Health Program Receives Stimulus Funds

[Harvey Rosenthal]

Stimulus Funds Available For Mental-Health Services


	
	

Daily Times Herald  April 22, 2010


New Opportunities recently received federal stimulus funds to provide
outpatient mental-health services to low-income people in this area.

New Opportunities has received $69,000 from the State of Iowa through
the American Reimbursement Recovery Act. New Opportunities has
contracted The Richmond Center to provide the services.

New Opportunities executive director Chad Jensen said assistance for
mental-health services is much-needed. He said current economic troubles
have heightened stress on many people but at the same time they've lost
resources to get mental-health help.

"The government is allowing and wants us to encourage folks to get help
during this recession and these difficult times," Jensen said. "We want
folks to get back on track, but we don't want them to incur a huge bill
at the same time."

New Opportunities serves clients in Audubon, Carroll, Calhoun, Dallas,
Greene, Guthrie and Sac counties and is contracting with Richmond Center
to provide mental-health care.

Richmond Center has an office at 104 W. Sixth St. (U.S. 30 West) in
Carroll and also has offices in Ames, Boone and Jefferson. The Carroll
office is staffed by one full-time therapist, one part-time therapist,
two full-time outreach workers, one full-time secretary and 10 part-time
clubhouse workers. The clubhouse is for people who have been diagnosed
with persistent mental illness, and it provides peer support and
socialization for members in a safe, accepting environment. Richmond
Center recently began offering telepsychiatry, which allows people
visiting the Carroll office to receive consultation services from
psychiatrists at the University of Iowa. 

People who range from no income to up to 200 percent of federal poverty
level may qualify for help.

Jensen said this program will spare people just getting their lives back
in order from being hit with new financial burden.

For instance, he said, "a $150 bill for some families isn't going to be
a lot of money, but to our low-income families that is a really big
deal."

Jensen said that although the Carroll area has one of the lowest
unemployment rates in the state, there are many people who have had
their work hours cut or have taken jobs that pay much lower wages in
order to keep income coming into the home.

"There are a ton of Carroll County folks who have issues but don't feel
they can afford services," he remarked. 

Jensen pointed out that this program is not limited to just people whose
suffering is due to the current economy.

"These services are for anyone going through some troubling times," he
noted.

He added, "It's getting people the help they need. If fees have been a
barrier in the past, this program takes down that barrier for a person
going through depressing times."

 The program may cover all or a portion of costs for mental-health
services. It will pay for outpatient but not inpatient therapy. Richmond
Center serves children as well as adults.

"This is a great opportunity to help people who might otherwise fall
through the cracks because they don't qualify for other assistance,"
said Richmond Center executive director of community and family
resources John Hostetler.

Richmond Center staff will evaluate applicants' need and eligibility.
Hostetler said that preferably applicants contact the Ames office,
toll-free, at 1-800-830-7009, or they may phone the Carroll office at
792-2991.

Services will be provided at the Carroll office unless clients want to
make arrangements to visit one of Richmond Center's other offices. 

Jensen notes the program runs through Sept. 30 but he would like to see
most of the money spent by Sept. 1 "because it will take time to get
everything paid and accounted for."

"We think the money is going to go fairly quickly. We think there's a
huge need," he commented.

Hostetler added, "It will give us time too to help people find other
options to continue services after Sept. 1."

For people who need help with mental-health services but don't qualify
for this program, Richmond Center will try to connect them with other
resources.

Hostetler points out assistance is confidential and urges those who want
help to not hesitate.

"Yes, there's always a stigma. There's the mentality that you should be
pulling yourself up by the bootstraps," he said. "But the reality is
that mental illness is change in a person's brain chemistry as a result
of circumstances or environment, and genetics also plays a part. So
that's not a matter of pulling yourself up by the bootstraps. That's a
matter of getting on the right medication and the right therapy to get
through it."

He added, "So we hope they come in or come in with family members. A lot
of times issues that affect one person are also affecting others in a
family."

 

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