DES MOINES | Multiple years in the making, Iowas new method of delivering mental health services is underway.

The early feedback from officials on the ground is mostly positive and cautiously optimistic. Officials think the transition from services delivered by counties to a collaboration of multiple-county regions will improve mental health care in the state.

But many also caution that significant challenges remain, such as shortages of patient beds and psychiatric physicians and the lack of a statewide system for treating children with mental health issues.

And there is the ever-present concern that the new system will be sufficiently funded.

The state recently completed a transition to 15 multi-county mental health regions, a process that started roughly three years ago with state legislators who sought to balance of available services and spending and create efficiencies by pooling resources.

Now, each region is required to offer a baseline of mental health services, including outpatient therapy, community living support and support for employment, according to the Iowa Department of Human Services, and counties tax residents at the same rate statewide.

By combining counties into regions, the redesign aimed to create efficiencies and savings that would then free up funds to reinvest in services and lower property taxes.

The regions went into effect July 1, and so far were hearing positive feedback and excitement about how the redesign may help bring even more new services to the regions in years to come, said Rick Shults, Iowa Human Services division administrator of mental health and disability services, in a statement emailed to the Lee Enterprises Des Moines Bureau.

MHDS Regions are focused on ensuring that defined core services are available to individuals with mental illness or intellectual disabilities," Shultz wrote. "Many MHDS Regions have sufficient funds to expand to (include) comprehensive crisis services and justice-involved services.

Major changes

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'Exciting' changes happening in Iowa's mental health care