A grim picture for human services, mental health

In the next year, we will likely see dramatic changes in the state's ability to provide services to people with disabilities.

Shuttered regional offices and hundreds of expected layoffs will certainly have a profound effect on the Department of Human Services' ability even to keep up with critical issues like abuse investigations -- let alone make any headway on long-term needs.

Mental health and disability services are just part of DHS' workload, and while I don't like to throw around the term "crisis", signs aren't favorable when we add budget woes to increasing need (child abuse investigations were up 11 percent last year). Consider, too, the existing gaps in services exposed through public hearings following the Atalissa labor scandal. The way it stands now, things aren't looking so great for Iowa's most vulnerable populations.

From 4 to 6 p.m. today (March 4), The Community Mental Health Center for Mid-Eastern Iowa is holding an informational event to help explain what's going on with mental health legislation and funding. The event will be at the Johnson County Health and Human Services Building, 855 S Dubuque St., Iowa City.

Johnson County Supervisor Terrence Neuzil will moderate, and speakers will give a history of funding for people with disabilities and talk about what's going on now.

I'll be there for at least part of the event and I'll blog tomorrow about what I hear. If you've got any questions you want me to ask on your behalf, comment below or drop me a line at

jennifer.hemmingsen@gazcomm.com