Mental health groups are praising Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds for proposing to boost funding for mental health programs

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds wants the legislature to pass a state budget which has $6.2 million for substance abuse treatment, $5 million for telehealth expansion, $3.3 million for community based services and $80 million for regional Mental Health treatments.

A news release from Northeast Iowa Mental Health says, "State reimbursement policies directly impact our ability to retain a qualified workforce and maintain statewide access to the full continuum of behavioral health services. Governor Reynolds understood this appropriation was critically needed to adjust the reimbursement rates for the cost of the services that so many Iowans rely upon. Without this funding, both our clients and our employees would have faced some unwanted, and potentially dire consequences of needing to find work and services somewhere else, or needing to opt out of treatment due to the difficulty of finding a provider within their area."

The governor's proposal is also being praised by NAMI Iowa, which has a chapter in NE Iowa. "I was encouraged to hear again the governor's care and concern for the tens of thousands of Iowans affected by mental illness, many of whom are now unable to get appropriate help," said NAMI Iowa Director Peggy Huppert.

NAMI says it supports Reynolds' efforts to increase telehealth services, especially for behavioral health and in schools, and her support for restoration of felon voting rights.