Iowa new mental health bill moves forward

Iowa new mental health bill moves forward

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(ABC 6 News) – Governor Kim Reynold’s new mental health bill is moving forward in the House.

The bill would combine mental health and substance abuse treatment services. People who struggle with both could get the care they need in one place, rather than at two separate facilities.

A recent report by the Treatment Advocacy Center shows that Iowa only has two mental health beds for every 100,000 people, putting Iowa dead last in the nation.

The governor’s bill now moves on to the Health and Human Services committee. If the bill passes there, it will face the floor in a full vote.