Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds talked with News 8’s Jim Mertens about mental healthcare for children and the #metoo movement.
In regards to mental health, Reynolds said she help put together a board that will establish a children’s mental health system. She said the board is set to create the system and work out logistics to keep it running long term. The board members are expected to have a plan on the governor’s desk by December.
Reynolds also said she hoped to expand the foundation for adult mental healthcare.
When asked about Iowa not having child psychiatrists in all of its 99 counties, Governor Reynolds said there was a plan in place from Des Moines University. She said she is helping to find a program that trains primary doctors at the university to recognize early signs of mental illness in children and adults.
“When you have 1,000 doctors that want to participate in a psychiatric residency program in Iowa, that’s a step in the right direction,” she said.
Reynolds said in 2017 she signed a bill related to teenage suicide, which helps train educators to identify issues with their students.
On the topic of #MeToo, Reynolds said “it’s about changing the culture.” She said she wants to see leaders setting the example.
