Iowa ranks worst in the nation for number of state psychiatric beds

DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa was ranked 51st in the nation for the number of state psychiatric beds, according to the latest report by the Treatment Advocacy Center.

The Treatment Advocacy Center is a national nonprofit that advocates to remove treatment barriers for people with mental illnesses. The study compared all 50 states and Washington D.C.

There are two mental health institutions in the state that provide state psychiatric beds. One is in Cherokee and the other is located in Independence.

The study outlined that Cherokee has 24 beds for adults and 12 for children, while Independence has 40 beds for adults and 16 for children.

As a result, this means Iowa has two available beds per 100,000 people, while the ideal ratio should be 50 beds per 100,000 people.

The study also found that Cherokee has a 97% occupancy rate with an average stay of 56 days, while Independence has a 91% occupancy rate with an average stay of 157 days.

The Treatment Advocacy Center said that occupancy rates higher than 85% are indicative of bed shortages.

“The importance of having more hospital beds is that if we have the opportunity to help somebody, a young person who is in crisis, we want every ability to provide the access for that treatment at the time that they need that treatment and for the length of time that they need that treatment,” said Leslie Carpenter, the Legislative Advocacy Manager for the Treatment Advocacy Center, “That’s why making an improvement in our availability of both state and private beds is a huge priority.”

In 2015, two mental health institutions in Iowa were shut down. It’s unclear if the closing of Clarinda Mental Health and the Mt. Pleasant Mental Health Institute is the reason for Iowa’s low rank as the Treatment Advocacy Center started conducting this research in 2016. However, Iowa has maintained a consistently low rank since they began this research.

Carpenter said that these institutions are vital for people who need assistance with their mental health because they provide access to trained professionals.

“We need to have people who are specifically trained for dealing with people that have severe mental illnesses, but also any mental illness. The care there is different than what is provided by someone who is not trained, specifically in that field,” said Carpenter.