By Michaela Ramm, Des Moines Register
Des Moines, IA-The Des Moines Register is investigating the mental health crisis facing Iowa’s youth.
Through the year, the Register is publishing a series called “Young and In Crisis” that explores Iowa’s youth mental health crisis and the factors that contribute to the growing chorus of young Iowans struggling to find help before it’s too late.
We want to hear your mental health stories
We can’t do this work without your help.
It’s critical to reflect the voices of Iowans who have felt the impact of these challenges firsthand. That includes young Iowans grappling with their diagnosis. It includes parents, grandparents, guardians or other family members who have witnessed a young loved one struggle to find help for their mental health condition.
Do you have a story to share?
You may also write to:
- Youth in Crisis Project
- Des Moines Register
- 400 Locust St. Suite 500
- Des Moines, IA 50309
What Iowa families are sharing about mental health
Already, two families have bravely shared their stories for the first story in the “Young and In Crisis” series. Both are parents who struggled to find their young sons the help they desperately needed before their circumstances become dire.
What’s wrong with Iowa’s mental health system?
We know that thousands of young Iowans are missing out on critical services, in part because of a historically underfunded and disjointed behavioral health system.
State officials have acknowledged the severity of the problem in Iowa, and have vowed to take steps to improve access to mental and behavioral health services for all Iowans.
Part of that effort includes a proposed overhaul of Iowa’s existing behavioral health system, which top state officials say will address critical gaps in care. But key questions remain on how Iowa’s youngest patients will fit into the state’s plan.
About the ‘Young and in Crisis’ project
Young and in Crisis is the Register’s occasional series exploring Iowa’s youth mental health crisis. The series focuses on the experiences of young Iowans and their families who struggle to access mental and behavioral health services, digs into the factors that create barriers to that care and explores solutions from top state officials.
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