Several first responders are sounding the alarm on the state of mental health in Iowa, saying it is the biggest issue they face today.
In Madison County, near Des Moines, the sheriff says many inmates are struggling with mental health issues and do not belong in jail.
Last summer, the Iowa Department of Human Services implemented an inpatient psychiatric bed tracking system to locate beds more quickly when hospitalization is necessary, but some say its not accurate.
"In our experience, it hasn't been one that's been updated on a very regular basis, so that if say for example there`s a bed available at one of the Mercy Des Moines inpatient facilities, it may show that they have a bed available but that was maybe yesterday`s census and not today so it`s not always an accurate representation of what`s available," said Clarice Blanchard of Madison County Hospital.
This week, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad announced three new psychiatric medical residency programs to recruit and retain psychiatric professionals.