Wanted: More mental health providers for rural Iowa

Sustaining necessary mental health services in our rural areas isn't a new challenge. But it's one that deserves renewed attention, especially given recent figures showing increased suicide rates in Iowa.

A key piece of the puzzle is the overall lack of mental health providers - today, 68 of Iowa's 99 counties have no practicing psychiatrists.

Local leaders, lawmakers and educators should collaborate on fresh, outside-the-box incentives to entice and maintain a behavioral health presence throughout Iowa.

Currently, through the Primary Care Recruitment and Retention Endeavor, the state offers primary-care physicians, psychiatrists and other health care providers who commit to practice in a rural area for two years up to $50,000 per year.

From 2009 to 2014, this loan repayment program expended about $1.6 million to 36 providers. Of the recipients, 14 awards went to professionals practicing in Mental Health Shortage Areas, but only one was a psychiatrist - the disbursement for that professional was less than 4 percent of the total.

The University of Iowa also has a program for students interested in a rural practice. It provides up to $100,000 loan forgiveness when a student commits to a five-year practice in an Iowa town with a population of 26,000 or less.

While such programs have worked in the past, urban entities are now offering similar incentives.

The UI's Rural Iowa Scholars Program provides students with hands-on experience with rural physicians, but the program is open to only four students each year. In addition, psychiatrist job shadows are not common.

The largest predictors of happiness by a rural health professional are growing up in rural area or having residency experiences in a rural area. With limited exceptions like the aforementioned UI program, Iowa's training programs for mental health professionals have sidestepped this understanding.

Haggling over state funding for mental health beds or reimbursement rates for providers has become commonplace, nearly a hallmark of each state legislative session.

But increased funding does little good if too few providers are available to administer the services needed by rural Iowans.

Community-based services have become a catch phrase for lawmakers and state leaders. And we agree such services are important - so long as all communities are included.

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