Read the full article on KETV 7
Nina Richtman remembers the moment she realized she was out of options.“I applied to 21 different programs, and none of the programs would take him,” she said as she recalled trying to find the mental health treatment her son needed. “I was basically in a situation where it wasn’t safe to have him at home, but no program would take him.”Her son needed more than weekly therapy. He did not qualify for hospital-level care. And the type of structured treatment that could have helped stabilize him was nearly impossible to find in Iowa.”Subacute care for kids in the state is almost impossible to find, and it generally is only after someone has been in the hospital as a step-down from hospital care,” she said. “It shouldn’t be this hard.”She ultimately relinquished custody to the state, a decision she said was incredibly painful. But she felt it was her only option to get him into a therapeutic placement.”This is a very much a last-ditch effort to get any kind of treatment for our kids, but it’s better than a juvenile detention center. And that, unfortunately, is where our kids are going to end up if they can’t get access to any treatment,” she said.Now, Richtman is urging state lawmakers to change that.The Iowa House is considering a bill that would expand access to subacute mental health care, an in-between level of treatment for people who do not need to be hospitalized but are not ready to return home without additional support.Right now, subacute care in Iowa is generally capped at 10 days. The bill would remove that limit and restrict insurance companies from forcing someone out of treatment before their doctor says they are ready. It would also limit prior authorization requirements during the first 15 days of care and require facilities to create a written treatment plan within 24 hours of admission.Supporters like Richtman say those changes could help prevent repeat hospitalizations, keep children out of the juvenile justice system and reduce long term costs for the state. Subacute care is designed to bridge the gap between hospital care and traditional outpatient therapy. It typically offers short-term, structured treatment, medication management, and direct access to mental health professionals.“It’s important to have the in-between option because people don’t stay in the hospital for very long,” Richtman said. “It’s just a couple of days, maybe, and to get stabilized on their medications they need more time where they have support, and they have access to professionals.” The bill would also require the state to develop a real-time tracking system for available psychiatric beds for children, something Richtman says could make a meaningful difference for families trying to navigate a crisis.“I think it could only be beneficial in understanding where the capacity is, where the spaces are. And especially for case managers and other professionals that are trying to assist families,” she said. “Having a tracking system, I think, will be very beneficial to them.”She also said she believes earlier access to the right level of care could prevent more severe outcomes.“When people can’t get the level of care that they need, they often suffer unnecessarily. And sometimes that leads to actual harm. And if we can just get people the right level of care when they need it, it makes everything go smoother,” Richtman said. The proposal passed unanimously in committee and is expected to be debated by the full House Monday night. If approved, it would still need to pass the Senate and be signed by the governor. NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
Nina Richtman remembers the moment she realized she was out of options.
“I applied to 21 different programs, and none of the programs would take him,” she said as she recalled trying to find the mental health treatment her son needed. “I was basically in a situation where it wasn’t safe to have him at home, but no program would take him.”
Advertisement
Her son needed more than weekly therapy. He did not qualify for hospital-level care. And the type of structured treatment that could have helped stabilize him was nearly impossible to find in Iowa.
“Subacute care for kids in the state is almost impossible to find, and it generally is only after someone has been in the hospital as a step-down from hospital care,” she said. “It shouldn’t be this hard.”
She ultimately relinquished custody to the state, a decision she said was incredibly painful. But she felt it was her only option to get him into a therapeutic placement.
“This is a very much a last-ditch effort to get any kind of treatment for our kids, but it’s better than a juvenile detention center. And that, unfortunately, is where our kids are going to end up if they can’t get access to any treatment,” she said.
Now, Richtman is urging state lawmakers to change that.
The Iowa House is considering a bill that would expand access to subacute mental health care, an in-between level of treatment for people who do not need to be hospitalized but are not ready to return home without additional support.
Right now, subacute care in Iowa is generally capped at 10 days. The bill would remove that limit and restrict insurance companies from forcing someone out of treatment before their doctor says they are ready.
It would also limit prior authorization requirements during the first 15 days of care and require facilities to create a written treatment plan within 24 hours of admission.
Supporters like Richtman say those changes could help prevent repeat hospitalizations, keep children out of the juvenile justice system and reduce long term costs for the state.
Subacute care is designed to bridge the gap between hospital care and traditional outpatient therapy. It typically offers short-term, structured treatment, medication management, and direct access to mental health professionals.
“It’s important to have the in-between option because people don’t stay in the hospital for very long,” Richtman said. “It’s just a couple of days, maybe, and to get stabilized on their medications they need more time where they have support, and they have access to professionals.”
The bill would also require the state to develop a real-time tracking system for available psychiatric beds for children, something Richtman says could make a meaningful difference for families trying to navigate a crisis.
“I think it could only be beneficial in understanding where the capacity is, where the spaces are. And especially for case managers and other professionals that are trying to assist families,” she said. “Having a tracking system, I think, will be very beneficial to them.”
She also said she believes earlier access to the right level of care could prevent more severe outcomes.
“When people can’t get the level of care that they need, they often suffer unnecessarily. And sometimes that leads to actual harm. And if we can just get people the right level of care when they need it, it makes everything go smoother,” Richtman said.
The proposal passed unanimously in committee and is expected to be debated by the full House Monday night. If approved, it would still need to pass the Senate and be signed by the governor.
NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
