Current available mental health care services are insufficient for our community.
On average, a person in Polk County waits 120 days to be able to access
mental health care services.
Here is why services are insufficient:
-Currently nearly 200 people in Polk County are waiting for mental health care services
-There is currently a 120 day average waiting period to receive mental health care services in Polk County
-Iowa currently ranks 47th out of 50 in psychiatrists per capita
-While 1 in 4 adults (approximately 58 million people) experience a mental health disorder every year, Iowa currently has only approximately 6 mental health beds per 100,000 citizens
-15% of all emergency room visits are due to individuals unable to get the mental health care they needed
-Current beds are at 100% utilization, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — the demand is critically outstripping our ability to respond
-No 23 hour observation or sub-acute care services are available.
-Public funding is extremely limited for buildings and infrastructure at both the federal and state level, including the mental health redesign legislation.
