Some Iowans waiting for mental health services

Dallas County has started a waiting list for some mental health services, hoping to stretch its budget so it can meet residents' most vital needs through the rest of the fiscal year.

Community Services Director Darci Alt expects more than 600 people will obtain mental health services, a number that is increasing as the county's population grows, The Des Moines Register reports.

Dallas County is among the top 10 fastest-growing counties in the nation, according to census figures released earlier this year.

Another factor is the economy, with more people seeking help because of stress and anxiety due to financial situations.

"With the downturn in the economy, financial problems and job loss are causing people to have more crisis situations," Alt said. "We're seeing more one-time situations where they need to seek counseling and things like that."

Alt said the waiting list won't affect residents' therapy services, but there will be limited access to such things as transportation and supported employment services.

"The part that I worry about the most is not being able to fund transportation and people being isolated," Alt said. "We want people to be able to get out and have that peer support."

Dallas County's budget for mental health services for the fiscal year that began July 1 is about $1.5 million, Alt said. That's about $2.5 million less than last year because the county no longer handles Medicaid claims.

The state took over those payments as part of a restructuring of Iowa's mental health programs. As a result, the county's expenses also decreased.

Alt said it's likely the county would have had to start a waiting list even if the budget hadn't changed. She said Iowa lawmakers are considering making one-time use funds available to counties next session while the restructuring takes place.

Alt is optimistic that if the funds are allocated the waiting list could be removed.

Roger Munns, spokesman for the Iowa Department of Human Services, said it's tough to track how many counties have waiting lists for mental health services because each one operates differently.