One of the focuses of the Iowa Legislature during the current general assembly has been mental health, and they recently passed a bill focusing on helping children receive the mental health care they need.

House File 690 was drafted with recommendations from the Iowa Children’s Mental Health Board, and it provides the framework for a regional mental health system dedicated to kids around the state. Representative Chris Hagenow, (R) District 19, says the bill also establishes the criteria to be met in order for a child to be eligible for the services provided. Among those services are crisis intervention, and inpatient and outpatient treatment for mental health. Hagenow also emphasizes that HF 690 addresses the need for additional funding and mental health professionals in rural Iowa.

The bill was passed with bipartisan support, and Hagenow believes it moves the state’s overall mental health in the right direction. “Obviously, we want to have the best outcomes for our kids. And more and more, Iowans are becoming aware of some of the challenges that we have with mental health across the spectrum of things. But we also know that if we can diagnose a child earlier, get services earlier, that they can grow through some of those challenges much better the earlier they’re diagnosed in life. And we all want the best for our kids and want them to become successful adults, and so this is really going to help us diagnose and get treatment much more effectively.”

The bill has been passed through the Senate and House, and awaits the governor to sign it into law. To learn more about this and other topics from the current general assembly, listen to today’s Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program on air and at RaccoonValleyRadio.com.