Articles Tagged: Substance use

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.

A plan to overhaul and combine Iowa’s delivery system for mental and behavioral health services is headed to Gov. Kim Reynolds to be signed into law.

The Higley Mansion, which used to operate as a senior-living facility in southeast Cedar Rapids, could be turned into a residential rehab house to offer voluntary treatment to those struggling with substance use issues.

Bill, which heads next to the Senate, would merge Iowa’s treatment networks for mental health and substance use issues into a unified behavioral health system. Currently, the networks are made up of 32 regions in the state — 13 for mental health care and 19 for substance use issues.

Also, Iowa House passes ban on police traffic stop quotas.

“It’s vital that we ensure that every dime of these settlement funds goes to help curb this deadly epidemic,” the Marion representative says.

The governor heard from groups requesting additional tax cuts, as well as support for child care, apprenticeships and mental health services during a public hearing Wednesday.

Across colleges and universities, the words and lived experiences of addiction and recovery, dependence and therapy, mental illness and counseling are becoming less taboo, making initiatives like Iowa State University’s Collegiate Recovery Program more popular and important for students seeking support.

Two nurses started a nonprofit for a sober house to help women in early recovery of alcohol or substance abuse. Potential applicants for the eight beds available must be sober for 14 to 30 days and have gone through rehab and are in treatment before being an eligible renter.

Iowa will receive more than $1 million from a nationwide settlement with the maker of the opioid addiction treatment drug Suboxone.

The Fact Checker checked a claim U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, made about fentanyl overdose deaths in the country.

See how you can support the nonprofit’s first gala in November.

State public health officials say more than a thousand Iowans struggling with opioid addiction would be served by expanded access to treatment and recovery support services.

Cassandra Collins, clinical director for Area Substance Abuse Council, talks about grappling with a dramatic increase in overdose deaths and heavy drinking in Iowa.