Articles Tagged: Substance use

Harm reduction initiatives like Cedar Rapids’ Naloxone vending machines are effective tools for tackling substance misuse.

A special investigation by the Iowa State Auditor’s Office found Crossroads Behavioral Health Services mishandled or misused more than $180,000 in federal and opioid settlement funds. Meanwhile, a state partnership with Ancestry.com has digitized over 1 million Iowa historical records at no taxpayer cost.

Gov. Kim Reynolds was among the speakers at the opening of Radix Recovery, a new drug and alcohol addiction treatment center housed in the former Higley Mansion in southeast Cedar Rapids.

A veterinary technician who allegedly stole drugs from the clinic where she worked and a rural veterinarian accused of unlawfully distributing controlled substances have been sanctioned by the state.

Starting Tuesday, mental health and substance use disorder services are being combined into seven behavioral health districts.The transition involves moving from regional to district-based eligibility and billing processes. It aims to provide more consistent care across the state. Will it?

A volunteer denied the allegations of child abuse and endangerment that emerged after a raid on the camp late last week.

Radix Recovery launched outpatient services this spring with inpatient care to follow later this year at Cedar Rapids facility.

Eastern Iowa nonprofits are preparing for change as the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services works to finalize details of its new behavioral health districts, which will go into effect on July 1.

The program will focus on those experiencing withdrawal after the use of alcohol or opiates.

Providers in Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Des Moines, Dubuque, Mason City, Oskaloosa and Sioux City will receive a total of over $10 million to expand or improve facilities and develop sober-living housing options.

Gov. Kim Reynolds in May signed into law a plan to overhaul and combine Iowa’s delivery system for mental and behavioral health services — which advocates hope will improve access for patients.

Higley Mansion, a former senior-living facility in southeast Cedar Rapids, will reopen next year to offer residential rehab for people who voluntarily choose to enter treatment for substance use issues.

The Iowa City Police Department recently launched its first-ever crisis co-responder team, pairing an officer with a mental health liaison to de-escalate crises, provide on-scene support, and connect individuals to essential services.

An early proposal separated the counties; local advocates expressed hope they could remain together to capitalize on access centers and existing partnerships

“For too long and for too many Iowans in need of help, navigating and accessing services across the system has been too difficult for patients and providers alike,” the governor said.