Mental care program to close in Iowa City

An Iowa City non-profit mental care program will be shut down because of insufficient funding.

Gillian Fox, Executive Director of Life Skills Inc., sent  a letter Sunday to people who receive services from Life Skills, along with volunteers and state representatives, informing them of the situation.

"It is with deep sadness and regret I need to inform you, that after 21 years, LIFE Skills, Inc., has delivered its final hours of service provision as a private non-profit corporation," the letter said.

Life Skills Inc. offers a variety of services to people with mental disabilities in Johnson County.  In the letter, Fox cites issues with Medicaid services as the primary reason for the closing.

"Iowa Medicaid Enterprise, our primary funder for Medicaid services, does not reimburse providers at cost," Fox wrote.

Cedar Rapids Republican Representative Renee Schulte said the closing shows a need for overall reform of the state mental health care system.

"We have folks who are falling through the cracks, we have a system that depending on who you ask, there are some real challenges," Schulte said.

Schulte said her long term hopes for mental health care includes an integrated system where no one goes without care.

"It is our job in government to help people who can't help themselves," Schulte said.

A phone call to Life Skills Inc. was unsuccessful Sunday afternoon.